Timepiece with internal antenna
A timepiece includes a case that is made at least in part from a conductive material; a dial that is made from a nonconductive material; a solar panel that has an opening and is disposed at a side opposite a display side of the dial, and that receives light incident from the display side of the dial; a patch antenna that is disposed at a side opposite of a light receiving side of the solar panel, and at a position overlapping the opening in plan view; and a date wheel made from nonconductive material that is disposed between the solar panel and the patch antenna in lateral view, and is disposed at a position overlapping, at least in part, the patch antenna in plan view. The dial has a date window, formed at a position overlapping the opening in plan view, for exposing at least part of the date wheel.
1. A timepiece, comprising:
a case that is made at least in part from a conductive material;
a dial that is made from a nonconductive material;
a solar panel that has an opening and is disposed at a side opposite of a display side of the dial, the solar panel receiving light incident from the display side of the dial;
a patch antenna that is disposed (i) at a side opposite of a light receiving side of the solar panel, and (ii) at a position overlapping the opening in plan view; and
a date wheel made from a nonconductive material that is disposed between the solar panel and the patch antenna in lateral view, and is disposed at a position overlapping, at least in part, the patch antenna in plan view;
wherein the dial has a date window for showing at least part of the date wheel, and
wherein the date window is formed at a position overlapping the opening in plan view.
2. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the patch antenna includes a dielectric and an electrode formed on the dielectric.
3. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
a size of the opening is set to be the same as a plane area of the patch antenna.
4. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the patch antenna is an inverted-F antenna.
5. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the patch antenna is a chip antenna rendering an inverted-F antenna on a ceramic dielectric package.
6. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiver unit that processes signals received by the patch antenna; and
a storage cell that is charged with power generated by the solar panel;
wherein the receiver unit is disposed where it does not overlap the storage cell in plan view.
7. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the solar panel includes four solar cells.
8. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiver unit that processes signals received by the patch antenna; and
an operating button that is manually operated by a user;
wherein the receiver unit processes signals when the operating button is operated.
9. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiver unit that processes signals received by the patch antenna; and
a control unit that keeps an internal time;
wherein the receiver unit processes signals when the internal time kept by the control unit reaches a preset scheduled reception time.
10. The timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiver unit that processes signals received by the patch antenna and outputs positioning information;
a control unit that keeps an internal time; and
a storage unit that stores time difference data;
wherein the control unit calculates a local time based on the positioning information, the internal time, and the time difference data.
11. The timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the timepiece is a wristwatch.