IP Library Granted Patent US 9,939,785
Granted Patent B2
US 9,939,785 · App. 15/394,049 · Granted Apr 10, 2018

Pointer driving motor unit, electronic device, and control method of pointer driving motor unit

Inventor: Kazuhiro Koyama (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
G04C3/14G04B19/04G04C3/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,939,785
App. No.
15/394,049
Granted
Apr 10, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object is to provide a pointer driving motor unit which can easily control driving of a pointer of a time piece by a stepping motor, a multifunctional electronic device, and a control method of a pointer driving motor unit. A pointer driving motor unit includes: a supporting body; a stepping motor which rotates a pointer that is supported to be rotatable with respect to the supporting body; a plurality of input portions which include a first input portion into which a first instruction signal is input from a main control portion, and a second input portion into which a second instruction signal is input from the main control portion; and a control portion which is provided in the supporting body, outputs a first driving signal that drives the pointer by a first operation to the stepping motor based on a result of comparing the first instruction signal and a predetermined threshold value with each other, and outputs a second driving signal that drives the pointer by a second operation to the stepping motor based on a result of comparing the second instruction signal and a predetermined threshold value with each other.

Claims (38)

1. A pointer driving motor unit comprising:

a supporting body;

a stepping motor configured to rotate a pointer that is supported to be rotatable with respect to the supporting body;

a plurality of input portions which include a first input portion into which a first instruction signal is input from a main control portion that is connected to the supporting body from the outside of the supporting body, and a second input portion into which a second instruction signal is input from the main control portion; and

a control portion configured to be provided in the supporting body, the control portion being configured to output a first driving signal that drives the pointer by a first operation to the stepping motor based at least in part on a result of comparing the first instruction signal input to the first input portion and a predetermined threshold value with each other, and the control portion being configured to output a second driving signal that drives the pointer by a second operation to the stepping motor based at least in part on a result of comparing the second instruction signal input to the second input portion and a predetermined threshold value with each other.

2. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a storage portion in which a correspondence table indicating a correspondence relationship including a correspondence relationship between the first input portion and the first driving signal, and a correspondence relationship between the second input portion and the second driving signal, is stored.

3. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 1 ,

wherein the stepping motor includes a first stepping motor that rotates a first pointer, and a second stepping motor that rotates a second pointer, and

wherein the control portion outputs the first driving signal to at least one or both of the first stepping motor and the second stepping motor based at least in part on characteristics of a pulse of the first instruction signal input to the first input portion, and outputs the second driving signal to at least one or both of the first stepping motor and the second stepping motor based at least in part on characteristics of a pulse of the second instruction signal input to the second input portion.

4. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 2 ,

wherein the stepping motor includes a first stepping motor that rotates a first pointer, and a second stepping motor that rotates a second pointer, and

wherein the control portion outputs the first driving signal to at least one or both of the first stepping motor and the second stepping motor based at least in part on characteristics of a pulse of the first instruction signal input to the first input portion, and outputs the second driving signal to at least one or both of the first stepping motor and the second stepping motor based at least in part on characteristics of a pulse of the second instruction signal input to the second input portion.

5. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 1 ,

wherein the input portion includes a third input portion into which a third instruction signal is input from the main control portion, and a fourth input portion into which a fourth instruction signal is input from the main control portion,

wherein the stepping motor includes a first stepping motor that rotates a first pointer and a second stepping motor that rotates a second pointer,

wherein the control portion outputs the first driving signal which normally rotates the first stepping motor to the first stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the first instruction signal input to the first input portion, outputs the second driving signal which reversely rotates the first stepping motor to the first stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of second instruction signal input to the second input portion, outputs a third driving signal which normally rotates the second stepping motor to the second stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the third instruction signal input to the third input portion, and outputs a fourth driving signal which reversely rotates the second stepping motor to the second stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the fourth instruction signal input to the fourth input portion, and

wherein the storage portion stores a correspondence relationship including a correspondence relationship between the third input portion and the third driving signal, and a correspondence relationship between the fourth input portion and the fourth driving signal.

6. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 2 ,

wherein the input portion includes a third input portion into which a third instruction signal is input from the main control portion, and a fourth input portion into which a fourth instruction signal is input from the main control portion,

wherein the stepping motor includes a first stepping motor that rotates a first pointer and a second stepping motor that rotates a second pointer,

wherein the control portion outputs the first driving signal which normally rotates the first stepping motor to the first stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the first instruction signal input to the first input portion, outputs the second driving signal which reversely rotates the first stepping motor to the first stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of second instruction signal input to the second input portion, outputs a third driving signal which normally rotates the second stepping motor to the second stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the third instruction signal input to the third input portion, and outputs a fourth driving signal which reversely rotates the second stepping motor to the second stepping motor in accordance with the pulse of the fourth instruction signal input to the fourth input portion, and

wherein the storage portion stores a correspondence relationship including a correspondence relationship between the third input portion and the third driving signal, and a correspondence relationship between the fourth input portion and the fourth driving signal.

7. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 3 ,

wherein the characteristics of the pulse includes any of an amplitude of the pulse, a width of the pulse, a duty ratio, a frequency, and the number of pulses, or a combination thereof.

8. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 4 ,

wherein the characteristics of the pulse includes any of an amplitude of the pulse, a width of the pulse, a duty ratio, a frequency, and the number of pulses, or a combination thereof.

9. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 5 ,

wherein the characteristics of the pulse includes any of an amplitude of the pulse, a width of the pulse, a duty ratio, a frequency, and the number of pulses, or a combination thereof.

10. The pointer driving motor unit according to claim 6 ,

wherein the characteristics of the pulse includes any of an amplitude of the pulse, a width of the pulse, a duty ratio, a frequency, and the number of pulses, or a combination thereof.

11. A multifunctional electronic device which is capable of indicating a time, as a time piece by the pointer, the device comprising:

the pointer driving motor unit according to claim 1 ;

a substrate on which the main control portion is disposed;

a connection portion which connects the main control portion to each of the plural input portions; and

a mounting portion which is wearable by a user.

12. A control method of a pointer driving motor unit including a supporting body, a stepping motor which rotates a pointer that is supported to be rotatable with respect to the supporting body; a plurality of input portions which include a first input portion into which a first instruction signal is input from a main control portion that is connected to the supporting body from the outside of the supporting body, and a second input portion into which a second instruction signal is input from the main control portion; and a control portion which is provided in the supporting body,

wherein the control portion outputs a first driving signal that drives the pointer by a first operation to the stepping motor based on a result of comparing the first instruction signal input to the first input portion and a predetermined threshold value with each other, and outputs a second driving signal that drives the pointer by a second operation to the stepping motor based on a result of comparing the second instruction signal input to the second input portion and a predetermined threshold value with each other.

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 Dec 29, 2016
From: KOYAMA, KAZUHIRO
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 040805/0821 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2016-000687 · Jan 5, 2016 · national
JP 2016-205424 · Oct 19, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170192394A1 · Jul 6, 2017