Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Regulating means – For setting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2002-04-09
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Regulating means
For setting
C368S010000, C368S074000, C368S080000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06367967
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a time-measurement device having the capability of indicating time and also to a method of controlling such a time-measurement device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to a time-measurement device and a method of controlling the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a time-measurement device having the capability of automatically switching the operating mode from a power saving mode to a normal mode and also to a method of controlling such a time-measurement device. A time-measurement device is known which includes an electric power generator, a power supply, and an electric power consuming part wherein electric power generated by the electric power generator is stored in the power supply and the electric power stored in the power supply is consumed by the electric power consuming part. Some time-measurement devices of this type have, in addition to a normal driving mode in which electric power is consumed, a power saving mode in which the electric power consumed by the electric power consuming part is saved, wherein the operating mode is switched to the power saving mode depending on the condition in which a user uses the time-measurement device.
A specific example of the application of the mode switching capability described above is a wristwatch which operates in a normal time indication mode (normal mode, normal driving mode) when the wristwatch is being carried by a user and also during a predetermined period of time after the end of the carrying state. If the predetermined period of time has elapsed after the end of the carrying state, the operating mode automatically switches to the power saving mode in which indication functions are partially stopped so as to save the stored electric power. This wristwatches returns to the normal time indication mode (normal mode) in which the current time is indicated by hands from the power saving mode in which the driving of the hands is stopped, in a manner as described below.
When the operating mode is returned from the power saving mode in which the movement of the hands (hour, minute, and second hands) is stopped to the normal time indication mode in which the current time is indicated by the hands, a single motor is generally rotated at a higher speed than a normal speed at which the hands are driven in the normal mode so that all hands are driven quickly to adjust the indication of time to the current time. In this technique, the hour, minute, and second hands are driven quickly by amounts by which the hands would have been driven during the period of time elapsed in the power saving mode if the operating mode were in the normal time indication mode.
In the conventional portable wristwatch described above, when all hands are quickly driven at the same time, a greater amount of electric power is consumed than required in the normal operating mode. In the case of a wristwatch using a battery to drive the hands, the increase in the power consumption can cause the power supply voltage to become unstable and thus can cause the adjusting of the indication of time to fail. Another problem is that because all hands are driven by the single motor, a large electric power is required to drive the motor itself, and a long time is required to adjust the indication of time.
A technique of solving the above problems is to drive the hands using a plurality of motors. However, if the plurality of motors are driven at the same time, the power consumption increases. Furthermore, the increase in the power consumption can cause the power supply voltage to become unstable and thus can cause the adjusting of the indication of time to fail. Furthermore, in the case where the hands are moved by small amounts in the operation of adjusting the indication of time, it is difficult for a user to visually recognize whether or not the indication of time has been correctly adjusted.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problems.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a time-measurement device which consumes less electric power in the operation of adjusting the indication of time which allows a user to easily recognize whether or not adjusting of indication of time has been correctly performed. It is another object of the present invention to provided a method of controlling such a time-measurement device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device comprising: a power supply or power supply means for supplying electric power; a time indicator or time indicating means including a plurality of indication hand driving parts for driving corresponding indication hands using electric power supplied by the power supply means so as to indicate time by the plurality of indication hands; a controller or control means for switching the operating mode for each of the indication hand driving parts in accordance with a predetermined condition, between a power saving mode in which the corresponding indication hand is not driven and a normal indication mode in which the corresponding indication hand is continuously driven; an elapsed-time memory or storage means for storing the time elapsed in the power saving mode; and a time adjuster or adjusting means for adjusting indication of time by driving the indication hands using the indication hand driving parts in accordance with the time elapsed in the power saving mode when the operating mode is switched from the power saving mode to the normal indication mode; wherein the time adjusting means includes a time adjusting operation controller or control means for controlling the timing of driving the indication hand driving parts in the operation of adjusting the indication of time such that the plurality of indication hand driving parts are driven in a predetermined order and such that an overlap among adjusting operation periods of the plurality of indication hand driving parts is less than a predetermined value.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device wherein the time adjusting operation control means sets the adjusting operation periods for the plurality of indication hand driving parts such that there is no overlap among the operation periods.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device wherein the time adjusting means adjusts the indication of time such that, of the plurality of indication hand driving parts, an indication hand driving part having a lower normal driving speed is driven for adjustment before an indication hand driving part having a higher normal driving speed is driven for adjustment.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device wherein the time adjusting means adjusts the indication of time such that, of the plurality of indication hand driving parts, an indication hand driving part having a higher normal driving speed is driven for adjustment before an indication hand driving part having a lower normal driving speed is driven for adjustment.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device wherein the time adjusting means adjusts the indication of time such that the hour/minute hand driving means is driven preceding the second hand driving means, and the second hand driving means is driven after completion of the driving of the hour and minute hands.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a time-measurement device wherein when the time adjusting means adjusts the indication of time, the time adjusting means drives the plurality of hand driving parts by outputting driving pulses to the plurality of hand driving parts such that there is no overlapping in the timing of outputting the driving pulses.
In accordanc
Kitahara Joji
Kojima Hiroyuki
Okeya Makoto
Shimura Noriaki
Yabe Hiroshi
Roskoski Bernard
Seiko Epson Corporation
Watson Mark P.
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