IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,189,343
Granted Patent B2
US 12,189,343 · App. 17/534,608 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Electronic watch

Inventor: Toshiyuki Nozawa (Okaya, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
G04C3/14G04G9/0082
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,189,343
App. No.
17/534,608
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic watch includes a first hand that is rotated by a first motor, and indicates a higher digit of numerical information or time information, a second hand that is rotated by a second motor, and indicates a lower digit of the numerical information or the time information, and a motor controller. The motor controller performs a numerical value indication mode for driving the first motor and the second motor simultaneously to indicate an increase or decrease in the numerical information, or time correction mode for driving the first motor and the second motor simultaneously to correct the time information, and in the numerical value indication mode or the time correction mode, controls a drive frequency of the first motor and a drive frequency of the second motor such that angular velocity of hand movement of the first hand is less than angular velocity of hand movement of the second hand.

Claims (48)

1. An electronic watch, comprising:

a first hand configured to be rotated by a first motor, and indicate a higher digit of numerical information or time information;

a second hand configured to be rotated by a second motor, and indicate a lower digit of the numerical information or the time information; and

a motor controller configured to control the first motor and the second motor so as to:

perform a numerical value indication mode for simultaneously driving the first motor and the second motor to indicate an increase or decrease in the numerical information by hand step movement of each of the first and second hands, or a time correction mode for simultaneously driving the first motor and the second motor to correct the time information; and

in the numerical value indication mode or the time correction mode, the motor controller is further configured to:

control a drive frequency of the first motor and a drive frequency of the second motor such that angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is less than angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand;

control the first motor to cause the first hand to stop for a first period of time after the first hand moves a plurality of steps as the hand step movement while the second motor causes the second hand to continuously move as the hand step movement; and

control the first motor to move the first hand as the hand step movement after the first period of time elapses while the second motor causes the second hand to continuously move as the hand step movement.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , comprising:

a numerical indicator configured to indicate a numerical value in decimal, wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the numerical value indication mode, the motor controller is further configured to:

indicate the numerical indicator with the first hand to indicate a higher digit of the numerical information; and

indicate the numerical indicator with the second hand to indicate a lower digit of the numerical information, and

the motor controller is configured to control the drive frequency of the first motor and the drive frequency of the second motor such that,

when the first hand indicates a single digit numerical value with one lap, the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/10 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand, and

when the first hand indicates a double digit numerical value with one lap, the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/100 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the time correction mode, the motor controller is further configured to:

indicate hours of the time information with the first hand; and

indicate minutes of the time information with the second hand, and

the motor controller is configured to control the drive frequency of the first motor and the drive frequency of the second motor such that

the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/12 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the time correction mode, the motor controller is further configured to:

indicate minutes of the time information with the first hand; and

indicate seconds of the time information with the second hand, and

the motor controller is configured to control the drive frequency of the first motor and the drive frequency of the second motor such that

the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/60 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the numerical value indication mode or the time correction mode, the motor controller is configured to perform correction processing for correcting a relative position between a position of the first hand and a position of the second hand at intervals of a predetermined time or a predetermined number of hand movement steps.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 1 , comprising:

a sensor configured to measure a physical amount; and

a measurement controller configured to control the sensor to acquire the physical amount, and calculate the numerical information from the acquired physical amount, wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the numerical value indication mode, the motor controller is configured to indicate the numerical information using the first hand and the second hand.

7. An electronic watch, comprising:

a first hand configured to be rotated by a first motor, and indicate a higher digit of numerical information or time information;

a second hand configured to be rotated by a second motor, and indicate a lower digit of the numerical information or the time information;

a motor controller configured to control the first motor and the second motor so as to:

perform a numerical value indication mode for simultaneously driving the first motor and the second motor to indicate an increase or decrease in the numerical information by hand step movement of each of the first and second hands, or a time correction mode for simultaneously driving the first motor and the second motor to correct the time information; and

in the numerical value indication mode or the time correction mode, the motor controller is further configured to control a drive frequency of the first motor and a drive frequency of the second motor such that angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is less than angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand; and

a numerical indicator configured to indicate a numerical value in decimal, wherein

while the motor controller is configured to perform the numerical value indication mode, the motor controller is further configured to:

indicate the numerical indicator with the first hand to indicate a higher digit of the numerical information; and

indicate the numerical indicator with the second hand to indicate a lower digit of the numerical information, and

the motor controller is configured to control the drive frequency of the first motor and the drive frequency of the second motor such that,

when the first hand indicates a single digit numerical value with one lap, the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/10 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand, and

when the first hand indicates a double digit numerical value with one lap, the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the first hand is 1/100 of the angular velocity of the hand step movement of the second hand.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: NOZAWA, TOSHIYUKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058203/0191 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-195829 · Nov 26, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220163927A1 · May 26, 2022
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US 1,109,617