IP Library Granted Patent US 9,128,467
Granted Patent B2
US 9,128,467 · App. 13/534,152 · Granted Sep 8, 2015

Electronic instrument and electronic timepiece

Inventor: Yoshinori Sugai (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
G04C10/02G04G19/08G04C10/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,128,467
App. No.
13/534,152
Granted
Sep 8, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic instrument has a power unit configured to allow insertion of a cell and to supply an electric power output from the inserted cell, a charging unit configured to charge the cell inserted in the power unit, and a voltage detecting unit configured to detect a voltage value of the cell inserted in the power unit. A cell type determining unit is configured to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a secondary cell as a rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is a value equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value and to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a primary cell as a non-rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is larger than the predetermined threshold value.

Claims (46)

1. An electronic instrument comprising:

a power unit configured to allow insertion of a cell and to supply an electric power output from the inserted cell;

a charging unit configured to charge the cell inserted in the power unit;

a voltage detecting unit configured to detect a voltage value of the cell inserted in the power unit; and

a cell type determining unit configured to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a secondary cell as a rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is a value equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value and to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a primary cell as a non-rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is larger than the predetermined threshold value.

2. The electronic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the cell type determining unit performs a process for abnormality which notifies that the primary cell is inserted in the power unit when the cell inserted in the power unit is determined to be the primary cell.

3. The electronic instrument according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a display unit;

wherein the cell type determining unit causes the display unit to display an error message as the process for abnormality.

4. The electronic instrument according to claim 3 , wherein

the primary cell is a CR1616 battery,

the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery, and

the cell allowed to be inserted in the power unit is a cell having the same shape as that of the CTL1616 battery.

5. The electronic instrument according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a display unit;

wherein the cell type determining unit turns OFF a display on the display unit as the process for abnormality.

6. The electronic instrument according to claim 5 , wherein

the primary cell is a CR1616 battery,

the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery, and

the cell allowed to be inserted in the power unit is a cell having the same shape as that of the CTL1616 battery.

7. The electronic instrument according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an input unit configured to accept an input;

wherein the cell type determining unit cancels the input accepted by the input unit as the process for abnormality.

8. The electronic instrument according to claim 7 , wherein

the primary cell is a CR1616 battery,

the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery, and

the cell allowed to be inserted in the power unit is a cell having the same shape as that of the CTL1616 battery.

9. The electronic instrument according to claim 2 , wherein

the primary cell is a CR1616 battery,

the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery, and

the cell allowed to be inserted in the power unit is a cell having the same shape as that of the CTL1616 battery.

10. The electronic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein

the primary cell is a CR1616 battery,

the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery, and

the cell allowed to be inserted in the power unit is a cell having the same shape as that of the CTL1616 battery.

11. The electronic instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the cell type determining unit performs notification of a result of the determination as to whether the cell inserted in the power unit is the primary cell or the secondary cell.

12. In an electronic timepiece having a power unit configured to allow insertion of a cell and to supply an electric power output from the inserted cell and a charging unit configured to charge the cell inserted into the power unit, a central processing unit (CPU) comprising:

a voltage detecting unit configured to detect a voltage value of the cell inserted into the power unit; and

a cell type determining unit configured to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a secondary cell as a rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is a value equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value and to determine that the cell inserted in the power unit is a primary cell as a non-rechargeable battery when the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting unit is larger than the predetermined threshold value.

13. The electronic timepiece according to claim 12 , wherein the cell type determining unit performs notification of a result of the determination as to whether the cell inserted in the power unit is the primary cell or the secondary cell.

14. The electronic timepiece according to claim 13 , wherein the notification comprises an indication of an abnormality when the cell type determining unit determines that the cell inserted in the power unit is the primary cell.

15. The electronic timepiece according to claim 14 , further comprising a display unit; and wherein the cell type determining unit causes the display unit to display an error message as the indication of abnormality.

16. The electronic timepiece according to claim 14 , further comprising a display unit having a display; and

wherein the indication of abnormality comprises the display of the display unit being turned OFF by the cell type determining unit.

17. The electronic timepiece according to claim 14 , further comprising an input unit for accepting an input; and wherein the indication of abnormality comprises an input accepted by the input unit being canceled by the cell type determining unit.

18. The electronic timepiece according to claim 12 , wherein the primary cell is a CR1616 battery and the secondary cell is a CTL1616 battery having the same shape as that of the CR1616 battery.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Oct 17, 2024
From: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
To: SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069183/0051 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2012
From: SUGAI, YOSHINROI
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 028922/0394 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2011-159990 · Jul 21, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130021879A1 · Jan 24, 2013