IP Library Granted Patent US 9,244,435
Granted Patent B2
US 9,244,435 · App. 14/267,218 · Granted Jan 26, 2016

Timepiece having a wide variety of appearances

Inventors: Motohiro Tako (Tokyo, JP); Toyonori Muraji (Tokyo, JP); Hiroshi Takematsu (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO CLOCK INC.
G04B45/0038G04B25/06G04B45/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,244,435
App. No.
14/267,218
Granted
Jan 26, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A timepiece, which includes an ornamental body; a drive mechanism that moves the ornamental body; an output portion that outputs a sound; and a control portion that performs movement control for outputting a piece of theme music and moving the ornamental body from an initial position. The control portion further performs return control for outputting a piece of ending music and moving the ornamental body to the initial position after the movement control is finished. Under the return control, the outputted and selected pieces of ending music have different lengths depending on whether or not a position of the ornamental body is in front of a reference position. It is thus possible to design the movement pattern of the ornamental body under the movement control, without consideration of the stop positions of the ornamental body at the end of the movement control period; thereby, allowing for a wide variety of appearances for the timepiece.

Claims (12)

1. A timepiece, comprising:

an ornamental body;

a drive mechanism moving the ornamental body;

an output portion capable of outputting a sound; and

a control portion performing movement control for outputting a piece of theme music and moving the ornamental body from an initial position, and performing return control for outputting a piece of ending music and moving the ornamental body to the initial position after the movement control is finished,

wherein plural types of pieces of theme music capable of being output from the output portion are respectively associated with plural types of movement patterns of the ornamental body,

under the movement control, a piece of theme music selected from the plural types of pieces of theme music is output, and the ornamental body is moved based on a movement pattern associated with the selected piece of theme music, and

under the return control, a piece of ending music is selected from plural pieces of ending music having different lengths and the piece of ending music is output, wherein the particular piece of ending music is selected based on whether a stop position of the ornamental body is beyond a reference position.

2. The timepiece of claim 1 , wherein under the return control, when the stop position of the ornamental body at the end of the movement control is not beyond the reference position, a piece of ending music having a comparatively short performance period is output, and under the return control, when the stop position of the ornamental body at the end of the movement control is beyond the reference position, a piece of ending music having a comparatively long performance period is output.

3. The timepiece of claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a motor, the control portion estimates the stop position based on an energization period, of the motor, while the ornamental body is being moved from the initial position to the stop position under the movement control, and

the control portion selects a piece of ending music from the plural pieces of ending music depending on whether or not the estimated stop position is beyond the reference position.

4. The timepiece of claim 1 , further comprising a detection portion detecting that the ornamental body is in the initial position.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Sep 29, 2021
From: SEIKO CLOCK INC.
To: SEIKO TIME CREATION INC.
Reel/Frame 057631/0791 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2014
From: TAKO, MOTOHIRO; MURAJI, TOYONORI; TAKEMATSU, HIROSHI
To: SEIKO CLOCK INC.
Reel/Frame 032903/0614 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-099250 · May 9, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140334273A1 · Nov 13, 2014