JP5710139B2 - Satellite radio watch - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a satellite radio wave wristwatch, and more particularly to a satellite radio wave wristwatch that corrects the time based on a satellite signal transmitted from a satellite.

  Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a GPS wristwatch that corrects the time based on a satellite signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. This wristwatch determines whether the wristwatch is indoors or outdoors depending on whether the power generation amount of the solar panel exceeds the threshold value or the output amplitude of the acceleration sensor exceeds the threshold value. The power consumption is reduced by performing a satellite signal reception operation only when it is determined that the outdoor location.

JP 2008-039565 A

  However, the satellite signal from the GPS satellite has a short wavelength, and even if the GPS wristwatch is outdoors, if the built-in antenna is not pointing in the direction of the GPS satellite, that is, upward, it is normal to receive the satellite signal. Have difficulty. This problem is particularly noticeable when the built-in antenna is housed in a metal watch case. In other words, if the built-in antenna is not facing upward, the built-in antenna and the metal watch case partially overlap or approach each other when viewed from the satellite side, so that the satellite signal can be normally received by the built-in antenna. It becomes difficult. Therefore, performing the satellite signal receiving operation only according to the indoor / outdoor determination as in the above prior art is not sufficient for reducing power consumption.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch that can suppress reception operation in a posture in which satellite signals cannot be normally received and can further reduce power consumption. There is to do.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to one aspect of the present invention is a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch that corrects the time based on a satellite signal transmitted from a satellite, and a receiver that receives the satellite signal; A received light amount detecting means for sequentially detecting the received light amount of the radio wave wristwatch; a received light amount calculating means for calculating a received light amount change amount that is a change amount of the received light amount; Receiving control means for starting the receiving operation of the satellite, and a photovoltaic panel for generating the driving power of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch, wherein the receiving means is provided such that its receiving surface faces the windshield side together with the photovoltaic panel. look including a patch antenna for the received light quantity detecting means, the amount of received light when it exceeds a given light amount threshold, and changes the time interval for acquiring the amount of light received.

In addition, a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to another aspect of the present invention is a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch that corrects the time based on a satellite signal transmitted from a satellite, and a receiving unit that receives the transmission wave, and a tilt of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. A sensor for calculating a quantity; and a reception control means for starting a reception operation of the satellite signal by the receiving means based on an inclination amount of the satellite radio wave wristwatch calculated from an output of the sensor; The control means starts the receiving operation of the satellite signal by the receiving means when a predetermined time elapses while the inclination amount of the satellite radio wave wristwatch detected by the sensor is within a given range. Features.

  According to the present invention, the power consumption can be further reduced by suppressing the reception operation in a posture in which satellite signals cannot be normally received.

1 is a plan view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in the AA of FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the reference | standard information memorize | stored in a controller typically. It is a figure which shows the circuit structural example of an electric power generation amount detection part. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of the electric power generation amount of a solar cell. It is a figure which shows the light quantity which the dial according to a situation receives. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of electric power generation variation. It is a flowchart which shows an indoor / outdoor determination process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the method of evaluating stability of electric power generation amount. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of electric power generation amount. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of electric power generation variation. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the sixth embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch concerning Embodiment 7 of the present invention. It is a circuit block diagram of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch concerning Embodiment 7 of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the change of electric power generation amount and inclination amount. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing reception start timing determination processing according to the seventh embodiment. 10 is a plan view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Embodiment 8. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The figure shows a case 1 that is the exterior (watch case) of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch, a dial 2 that is arranged in the case 1, and an hour hand 3, a minute hand 4, and a second hand 5 that are hands indicating time. Further, a crown 6 and buttons 7 are arranged on the side surface of the trunk 1 on the 3 o'clock side for the user to perform various operations. A band fixing portion 8 for fixing the band extends from the side surface of the trunk 1 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side.

  In addition, the design of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 shown in the figure is an example. In addition to those shown here, for example, the barrel 1 may be square instead of round, and the presence / absence, number, and arrangement of the crown 6 and the button 7 are arbitrary. Further, in the present embodiment, the hands are three hands of the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, and the second hand 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and even if the second hand 5 is omitted, the day of the week, the time zone or the presence / absence of summer time, the radio wave The reception status, remaining battery level, pointers for various displays, date display, and the like may be added.

  In this specification, the term satellite radio wave wristwatch refers to a wristwatch that receives a satellite signal from a satellite that transmits information about the date and time, such as a GPS satellite, and the date included in the satellite signal. It is used to indicate a wristwatch having a function of correcting the internal time, which is information on the time held in the wristwatch, based on information related to the time, that is, reference information.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. A windshield 9 is attached to the trunk 1 so as to cover the dial 2 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100, and a back cover 10 is attached to the trunk 1 on the opposite side of the windshield 9. The material of the windshield 9 is a transparent material such as glass, and is nonmagnetic and nonconductive. Moreover, although the material of the trunk | drum 1 and the back cover 10 is not specifically limited, In this embodiment, it is a metal.

  In the present specification, hereinafter, the direction in which the windshield 9 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is arranged (upward direction in FIG. 2) is the windshield side, and the direction in which the back cover 10 is arranged (downward direction in FIG. 2) is the back cover side. Call.

  A solar cell (photovoltaic panel) 11 is disposed on the back cover side of the dial plate 2, and power is generated by light incident from the windshield side. Therefore, the dial 2 is made of a material that transmits light to some extent. In the present embodiment, the dial 2 is fixed to the base member 12 so as to sandwich the solar cell 11.

  The base member 12 is made of a non-magnetic and non-conductive material such as synthetic resin, and supports various members including a gear mechanism 25 for driving the patch antenna 14 and the pointer. The patch antenna 14 is provided with a feed pin 14b so as to penetrate the thickness direction thereof, and the windshield side surface serves as a reception surface 14a for receiving radio waves from the satellite.

  By the way, in general, in a radio timepiece that performs time adjustment using a standard radio wave transmitted from a ground station using a long wave band, a so-called bar antenna in which a coil is wound around a magnetic core such as a ferrite or an amorphous alloy is used. Many. In contrast, the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the present embodiment receives a signal transmitted from a satellite using a UHF band having a much higher frequency. For this reason, the patch antenna 14 is used as a small antenna suitable for receiving a UHF band signal.

  A circuit board 24 is disposed on the back cover side of the base member 12, and a battery 26 is disposed on the back cover side. In the present embodiment, the battery 26 is a rechargeable secondary battery, and uses a button-type lithium ion secondary battery. And the electric power generated by the solar cell 11 is accumulated. A motor 23 that is a drive source of the gear mechanism 25 is also attached to the circuit board 24.

  The shape of the battery 26 is not limited to the button type, and is arbitrary. Further, a secondary battery other than the lithium ion secondary battery, for example, a lithium ion capacitor or a nickel metal hydride battery may be used.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the receiving surface 14 a of the patch antenna 14 is provided in parallel with the light receiving surface of the solar cell 11, and all face the windshield side. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the solar cell 11 has a substantially circular shape, and a part of the outer periphery thereof is cut into a rectangular shape. And the patch antenna 14 is arrange | positioned at this part. For this reason, the receiving surface 14 a of the patch antenna 14 and the light receiving surface of the solar cell 11 are both directly opposed to the back surface of the dial 2. In the present embodiment, the amount of power generated by the solar cell 11 is the amount of light received by the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100. This received light amount is used as a criterion for determining whether or not the receiving surface 14a of the patch antenna 14 is facing upward.

  FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of the radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the first embodiment. These circuit elements are mainly arranged on the circuit board 24. The satellite signal received by the patch antenna 14 is converted into a baseband signal by the high-frequency circuit 46, and information related to time, specifically, information indicating time and date is extracted by the decoder circuit 53 and delivered to the controller 47. It is. The controller 47 is a microcomputer incorporating a driver for the motor 23, volatile and nonvolatile memory, a clock circuit, and various AD converters, and various controls are executed in accordance with programs stored in the nonvolatile memory.

  Here, the volatile memory built in the controller 47 stores reference information for date correction shown in FIG. The reference information is extracted from the satellite signal. First, the weekly time TOW (Time Of Week) indicates the elapsed seconds from 0:00 of the most recent Sunday and is included in all the subframes 1 to 5 of the satellite signal. It is included in the HOW (Hand Over Word) located immediately after the synchronization word TLM (TeLemeTry). The week number WN (Week Number) is reset to 0 at 9:00 am on August 22, 1999, and then increases by 1 every week. Week number WN is included only in subframe 1 of the satellite signal, and is located after HOW. The leap second offset ΔtLS (Leap Second) indicates the difference between the time output from the atomic clock of the GPS satellite and UTC (Universal Time, Coordinated), and is updated irregularly. The leap second offset ΔtLS is included in only one out of 25 transmissions of the subframe 4 of the satellite signal, and is transmitted 4 to 5 seconds after the TLM. The leap second update week WNLSF is the week number of the week in which the leap second offset ΔtLS is scheduled to be updated, and is transmitted immediately after the leap second offset ΔtLS. The leap second update date DN is the number of days elapsed since the last Sunday on the day when the leap second offset ΔtLS is scheduled to be updated, and is transmitted immediately after the leap second update week WNLSF. The updated leap second offset ΔtLSF is a value of the updated leap second offset and is transmitted immediately after the leap second update date DN. When the controller 47 extracts the reference information from the satellite signal, the controller 47 stores the reference information in a volatile memory and also stores the reception date and time of the reference information in association with the stored reference information. The reception date and time is set according to the output of the built-in clock circuit, for example.

  Based on the reference information thus stored, the controller 47 corrects the internal time (including the current time and date), which is time information held by the internal clock circuit, and drives the motor 23 based on the internal time. . The rotational power generated by the motor 23 is transmitted to the hands (hour hand 3, minute hand 4 and second hand 5) through the train wheel, and the time is displayed.

  Further, the solar cell 11 is connected to the battery 26 via the switch 29, and the solar cell 11 generates electric power in a state where the switch 29 makes the solar cell 11 and the battery 26 conductive by an instruction from the controller 47. Electric power is stored in the battery 26. Then, power is supplied from the battery 26 to the high frequency circuit 46, the decoder circuit 53, and the controller 47. Further, the solar cell 11 is also connected to the power generation amount detection unit 30 via the switch 29, and in a state where the switch 29 causes the solar cell 11 and the power generation amount detection unit 30 to conduct in accordance with an instruction from the controller 47, The current generated by the battery 11 flows to the power generation amount detection unit 30. The power generation amount detection unit 30 converts this current into a voltage, further converts this voltage into a digital value, and supplies it to the controller 47. The switch 56 is a switch for switching on / off the power supply to the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53, and is controlled by the controller 47. Since the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 operating at a high frequency consume a large amount of power, the controller 47 turns on the switch 56 to operate the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 only when receiving satellite signals. At times, the switch 56 is turned off to reduce power consumption.

  The satellite signal may be received when a request is made by the user through the input means such as the crown 6 or the button 7 or when a predetermined time is reached. It may be performed on the basis of the elapsed time from the specified time, the amount of power generated by the solar cell 11 or other information indicating the environment around the radio-controlled wristwatch 100. The controller 47 switches the switch 29 at an arbitrary timing to connect the terminal of the solar cell 11 to the power generation amount detection unit 30 and causes the power generation amount detection unit 30 to generate a digital value indicating the power generation amount. The controller 47 can acquire it. FIG. 5 is a circuit configuration example of the power generation amount detection unit 30. The current value of the solar cell 11 varies greatly depending on the amount of light received by the solar cell 11. Therefore, the power generation amount detection unit 30 shown in the figure includes a resistor 30a connected in parallel with the solar cell 11, and an AD converter 30 that converts the voltage across the resistor 30a into a digital value. Yes. The digital value generated by the AD converter 30 indicates the amount of power generation, that is, the amount of light received by the solar cell 11, and this digital value is input to the controller 47.

  Below, the process which controls the reception timing of a satellite signal based on the electric power generation amount of the solar cell 11 is demonstrated concretely. FIG. 6 shows an example of the transition of the power generation amount P in the solar cell 11. FIG. 6 shows the transition of the power generation amount P when the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100 is put on the arm and the person goes out of the room to the outdoors and then the arm is raised and the dial 2 is directed toward the sun. . As shown in FIG. 7, the amount of light received by the dial outdoors is generally tens or more times different from the amount of light indoors whether the weather is clear or cloudy. ). On the other hand, the amount of light detected varies only about twice depending on whether or not the dial faces upward. For this reason, the threshold value Pth of the power generation amount P of the solar cell 11 is set to the power generation amount P when the solar cell 11 is directed indoors toward the lamp, and the solar cell 11 is directed upward, that is, toward the sun outdoors. If it is set to a value between the power generation amount P in the absence, the comparison between the threshold value and the current power generation amount P can determine whether the solar cell 11 is indoors or outdoors. In the first embodiment, first, indoor / outdoor determination is performed based on whether the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth. When it is determined that the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100 is located indoors, the acquisition interval of the power generation amount P is set to time T1. On the other hand, when it is determined that the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is located outdoors, the acquisition interval of the power generation amount P is set to time T2 (T2 <T1). In this way, power consumption for acquiring the power generation amount P is suppressed. As described above, when the power generation amount P is acquired, the switch 29 is switched to disconnect the solar cell 11 and the battery 26 and connect the solar cell 11 and the power generation amount detection unit 30. For this reason, when the power generation amount P is acquired, the battery 26 is not charged. In this respect, in this embodiment, when the power generation amount P is small, the acquisition interval of the power generation amount P is lengthened to increase the charging opportunities for the battery 26, so that the charging efficiency can be increased. The time T1 is preferably set to a value larger than the time (for example, 20 seconds) required for wearing the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 to go out of the room. Further, the time T2 is set to a value larger than the time (for example, about 1 second) required from the state where the satellite radio wristwatch 100 is worn and the arm is lowered to the time when the dial 2 of the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100 is directed upward. It is desirable.

  When it is determined that the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is located outdoors, the calculation of the change amount of the power generation amount P, that is, the power generation change amount dP is started. Then, it is determined whether or not the dial 2 is facing upward depending on whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth. Here, FIG. 8 shows an example of the transition of the power generation change amount dP in the solar cell 11. The horizontal axis (time axis) shown in the figure corresponds to the horizontal axis (time axis) in FIG. The threshold dPth is half of the difference between the average power generation amount P when the dial 2 is not facing upwards outdoors and the average power generation amount P when the dials 2 are upward facing outdoors. If it is set to a value of about, as shown in FIG. 8, it can be determined that the timing X at which the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth is the timing when the dial 2 is directed upward outdoors. Note that the threshold value dPth may be a fixed value. Further, when the dial 2 faces upward, the power generation amount P changes about twice, so the power generation change amount dP takes the same value as the power generation amount P immediately before the dial 2 faces upward. Therefore, the power generation amount P just before the dial 2 faces upward, or the moving average value of the power generation amount P (for example, the moving average value of about 5 to 10 times) is multiplied by a constant value (for example, about 0.5). Thus, the threshold value dPth may be obtained. Then, the threshold value dPth can be appropriately set according to the weather.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the indoor / outdoor determination process executed by the controller 47. In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100, the expiration date of various reference information extracted from the satellite signal stored as shown in FIG. 4 is periodically checked (for example, every day at 0:00 pm). I am trying to re-acquire standard information. For example, the weekly time TOW is determined to have expired when 48 hours have passed since the previous reception date and time. If the internal clock shift is 15 seconds / month, a shift of about 1 second may occur in 48 hours. By determining that the weekly time TOW has expired in 48 hours and reacquiring it, the deviation of the internal clock can be continuously suppressed within about 1 second. The week number WN is determined to have expired when, for example, one week has passed since the last reception date. The leap second offset ΔtLS, the leap second update week WNLSF, the leap second update date DN, and the updated leap second offset ΔtLSF are displayed when the half-year has elapsed from the previous reception date or when the leap second update week WNLSF and leap second update are already stored. When the month following the date specified by the date DN is entered, it is determined that the expiration date has expired. If any information is expired, the controller 47 performs the indoor determination process. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S101). Then, it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth (S102). If the power generation amount P does not exceed the threshold value Pth, it waits until the time T1 elapses from the previous sampling time (S103), and then samples the power generation amount P again (S101). On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the power has moved outdoors, and the process proceeds to reception start timing determination processing.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the reception start timing determination process executed by the controller 47. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S201). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S202). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the power generation change amount dP is calculated (S203). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds a threshold value dPth (S204). The threshold value dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S201 or its moving average value. If not exceeded, after waiting for the time T2 from the previous sampling time (S205), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S201).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and then the stability of the received light amount is examined. Specifically, first, an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the power generation amount P are set (S206). For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a value obtained by increasing the power generation amount P sampled last by a certain ratio (for example, 15%) is set as an upper limit value, and a value obtained by decreasing the certain ratio (for example, 15%) is set as a lower limit value. Next, the power generation amount P is sampled again (S207), and it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is within the upper limit value and the lower limit value set in S206 (S208). If it is within the range, the counter n, which is a variable having an initial value of 0, is incremented by 1 (S210), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S211). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and starts the acquisition of reference information by the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. Let

  On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, it waits until the time T2 elapses after the previous power generation amount P is sampled in S207 (S212), returns to S207, and performs the subsequent processing. If it is determined in S208 that the power generation amount P is not between the upper limit value and the lower limit value set in S206, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S209), the process returns to S201, and the subsequent processing is executed. In S211, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is merely an example, and other values may be set.

  According to the control described above, the power generation amount P is sampled at a low rate until the determination is made that the vehicle has moved outdoors by the indoor / outdoor determination process, and the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. 10 is not performed. It will be possible to suppress. Further, in the reception start timing determination process, only when the power generation change amount dP that is the change amount of the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value dPth and the power generation amount P that falls within a predetermined value range is continuously sampled a certain number of times, The high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 are operated. That is, the satellite signal reception operation is started only when it is estimated that the dial 2 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is maintained facing upward. For this reason, the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 can be operated only when there is a high possibility that the patch antenna 14 can correctly receive the satellite signal, so that wasteful power consumption can be prevented.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 12 shows an example of the transition of the power generation amount P when the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is taken outdoors, and FIG. 13 shows the power generation change amount corresponding to the transition of the power generation amount P shown in FIG. It shows the transition of dP. This example shows a case where the arm is lowered again after a predetermined time has elapsed after the user raises the arm and the dial 2 is directed upward. In such a case, the power generation amount P increases rapidly and then decreases rapidly with the same inclination. On the other hand, the power generation change amount dP once forms an upward wedge shape, and then forms a downward wedge shape. In such a case, after the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it can be evaluated that the dial 2 remains directed upward until it falls below the threshold value −dPth. Therefore, if the time from when the user raises the arm and the dial 2 is directed upward until the arm is lowered again is a predetermined time or more, the received light amount is determined to be stable, and the receiving operation is performed. May be started.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a modification of the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S301). Next, it is determined whether the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S302). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the power generation change amount dP is calculated (S303). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds a threshold value + dPth (S304). The threshold value dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S301 or its moving average value. If not, after waiting for a time T2 from the previous sampling time (S305), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S301).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value + dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and the stability of the received light amount is examined next. Specifically, the power generation amount P is sampled again (S306), and the power generation change amount dP is calculated (S307). Then, it is determined whether the power generation change amount dP is less than −dP (S308). If it is equal to or greater than -dP, the counter n, which is a variable of the initial value 0, is incremented by 1 (S310), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S311). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and starts the acquisition of reference information by the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. Let

  On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, it waits until the time T2 elapses after the previous power generation amount P is sampled in S306 (S312), returns to S306, and executes the subsequent processing. If the power generation change amount dP is less than −dP in S308, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S309), the process returns to S301, and the subsequent processing is executed. In S311, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is merely an example, and other values may be set.

  Even in the above manner, the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 can be operated in a situation where there is a high possibility that the reference information can be normally acquired, and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed.

[Embodiment 3]
You may make it judge the timing when the dial 2 stopped turning upward again on the basis of the average value of the electric power generation amount P before the dial 2 turned upward.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing another modification of the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S401). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S402). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, a moving average value of the power generation amount P is calculated (S403). The moving average value is an average value of the power generation amount P for the previous n times. Here, n may be 20-30, for example. Further, the controller 47 calculates the power generation change amount dP (S404). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds a threshold value dPth (S405). The threshold dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S401 or its moving average value. If not exceeded, after waiting for a time T2 from the previous sampling time (S406), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S401).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and then the stability of the received light amount is examined. Specifically, first, a threshold Pth is obtained by multiplying the moving average value calculated in S403 by a fixed value (S407). The fixed value may be about 1.5, for example. As shown in FIG. 7, since the rate of change in the amount of received light depending on the direction of the dial 2 is almost constant regardless of the weather, the power generation amount P is used as a reference for determining whether or not the dial 2 is facing upward. A value obtained by multiplying the moving average value by a constant value (about 1.5) can be used. Thereafter, the power generation amount P is sampled again (S408), and it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is equal to or greater than the threshold value Pth acquired in S407 (S409). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value Pth, the counter n, which is a variable having an initial value 0, is incremented by 1 (S411), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S412). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and starts the acquisition of reference information by the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. Let

  On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, after waiting for the time T2 to elapse after sampling the previous power generation amount P in S408 (S413), the process returns to S408, and the subsequent processing is executed. If it is determined in S409 that the power generation amount P is less than the threshold value Pth acquired in S407, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S410), the process returns to S401, and the subsequent processing is executed. In S412, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is merely an example, and other values may be set.

  Even in the above manner, the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 can be operated in a situation where there is a high possibility that the reference information can be normally acquired. In particular, since the moving average value of the power generation amount P is calculated and a value obtained by multiplying this value by a constant value is used as a criterion for determining the stability of the received light amount, the stability of the received light amount can be determined regardless of the weather. .

[Embodiment 4]
You may make it judge the timing when the dial 2 stops turning upward again on the basis of the integrated value of the electric power generation variation dP.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing another modification of the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S801). Next, it is determined whether the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S802). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the controller 47 calculates the power generation change amount dP (S803). Furthermore, the controller 47 calculates IdP, which is an integrated value of the power generation change amount dP (S804). That is, the power generation change amount dP calculated in S803 is added to the already stored integrated value IdP, and the value is stored again as the integrated value IdP. Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth (S805). The threshold value dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S801 or its moving average value. If not exceeded, after waiting for a time T2 from the previous sampling time (S806), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S801).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and then the stability of the received light amount is examined. Specifically, first, a threshold value of the integrated value IdP is obtained by multiplying the already stored integrated value IdP by a certain value (S807). The fixed value may be about 0.5, for example. Thereafter, the power generation amount P is sampled again and the integrated value IdP is updated (S808). That is, the power generation change amount dP is calculated, and the power generation change amount dP is added to the already stored integration value IdP, thereby updating the integration value IdP. Then, it is determined whether or not the integrated value IdP is greater than or equal to the threshold acquired in S807 (S809). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, the counter n, which is a variable with an initial value of 0, is incremented by 1 (S811), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S812). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and starts the acquisition of reference information by the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. Let

  On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, after waiting for the time T2 to elapse after sampling the previous power generation amount P in S808 (S813), the process returns to S808 and the subsequent processing is executed. If it is determined in S809 that the integrated value IdP is less than the threshold value acquired in S807, the counter n is initialized to 0, and the stored integrated value IdP is also initialized to 0 (S810). Returning to S801, the subsequent processing is executed. In S812, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is merely an example, and other values may be set.

  Even in the above manner, the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 can be operated in a situation where there is a high possibility that the reference information can be normally acquired. In particular, since the integrated value IdP is used as a criterion for determining the stability of the amount of received light, the stability of the amount of received light can be determined by simple processing regardless of the weather.

[Embodiment 5]
The condition for starting the reception operation may be changed depending on the type of reference information to be acquired from the satellite signal. As mentioned above, the weekly time TOW is included in the HOW located immediately after the synchronization word TLM, and the week number WN is located after the HOW. it can. On the other hand, the leap second offset ΔtLS, the leap second update week WNLSF, the leap second update date DN, and the updated leap second offset ΔtLSF are transmitted 5 to 6 seconds after the TLM. A degree is necessary. Therefore, in this embodiment, whether it is the weekly time TOW and the week number WN that need to be acquired is the leap second offset ΔtLS, the leap second update week WNLSF, the leap second update date DN, and the updated leap second offset ΔtLSF. Depending on whether or not the start condition of the receiving operation is different.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing still another modification of the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S501). Next, it is determined whether the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S502). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the power generation change amount dP is calculated (S503). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds a threshold value dPth (S504). The threshold value dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S501 or its moving average value. If not, after waiting for a time T2 from the previous sampling time (S505), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S501).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and then the stability of the received light amount is examined. Specifically, first, an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the power generation amount P are set (S506). The upper limit value and the lower limit value may be calculated in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Next, the power generation amount P is sampled again (S507), and it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is within the upper limit value and the lower limit value set in S506 (S508). If it is within the range, the counter n, which is a variable having an initial value 0, is incremented by 1 (S510).

  Here, it is determined whether or not the leap second offset ΔtLS, leap second update week WNLSF, leap second update date DN, and updated leap second offset ΔtLSF that have not expired are stored in the volatile memory of the controller 47. (S511). If they are stored, the process proceeds to S515. On the other hand, if they are not stored, the built-in clock circuit is referred to (S512), and it is determined whether or not the current date and time is within a certain time before the transmission of the subframe 4 page 18 (S513). If YES in S513, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 10 (S514). If it exceeds, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 are turned on. Operate to obtain a leap second offset ΔtLS, a leap second update week WNLSF, a leap second update date DN, and an updated leap second offset ΔtLSF. If not, the process waits until the time T2 elapses from the previous sampling time of the power generation amount P (S516), returns to S507, and executes the subsequent processing. On the other hand, if NO in S513, it is next determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S515). If it exceeds, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON so that the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 are turned on. Operate and obtain the weekly time TOW and the week number WN. If not, the process waits until the time T2 elapses from the previous sampling time of the power generation amount P (S516), returns to S507, and executes the subsequent processing. If it is determined in S508 that the power generation amount P does not fall between the upper limit value and the lower limit value set in S506, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S509), the process returns to S501, and the subsequent processing is executed. . In S514, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 10. In S515, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the values “10” and “3” are examples, respectively. Of course, other values may be set.

  According to the control described above, when acquiring the weekly time TOW and the week number WN, the reception operation is performed even when the light receiving stability is relatively low. On the other hand, when the leap second offset ΔtLS, the leap second update week WNLSF, the leap second update date DN, and the updated leap second offset ΔtLSF are acquired, the reception operation is performed only when the light receiving stability is relatively high. This is because the latter is more difficult to receive and requires a better reception environment. Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress wasteful power consumption by performing a reception operation in a more stable reception environment for reference information that is difficult to acquire, such as a leap second offset ΔtLS.

[Embodiment 6]
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing still another modification of the reception start timing determination process shown in FIG. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S601). Next, it is determined whether the power generation amount P is equal to or less than the threshold value Pth (S602). If the power generation amount P is less than or equal to the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the vehicle has moved indoors, and the process returns to the indoor / outdoor determination process of FIG. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the controller 47 calculates the power generation change amount dP (S603). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation change amount dP exceeds a threshold value dPth (S604). The threshold value dPth may be a fixed value as described above, or may be calculated from the power generation amount P acquired in S601 or its moving average value. If not exceeded, after waiting for a time T2 from the previous sampling time (S605), the power generation amount P is sampled again (S601).

  On the other hand, if the power generation change amount dP exceeds the threshold value dPth, it is determined that the dial 2 is directed upward, and then the stability of the received light amount is examined. At this time, whether it is the weekly time TOW and the week number WN that need to be re-acquired at first is the leap second offset ΔtLS, the leap second update week WNLSF, the leap second update date DN, and the updated leap second offset ΔtLSF. It is determined whether it exists (S606). For example, if the weekly time TOW or the week number WN whose expiration date has expired are stored, it is determined that they need to be reacquired, and the weekly time TOW and the week number WN whose expiration date has not expired are stored. If any of the leap second offset ΔtLS, leap second update week WNLSF, leap second update date DN and updated leap second offset ΔtLSF is not stored or has expired, the leap second offset ΔtLS, etc. You may judge that reacquisition is necessary. The expiration date of each data may be determined in the same manner as described in the first embodiment. If it is determined that the weekly time TOW or the like needs to be reacquired, the first value Pth1 is set as the threshold value of the power generation amount P (S608). A second value Pth2 is set as the threshold value for P (S607). Here, Pth2> Pth1.

  Thereafter, the power generation amount P is sampled again (S609), and it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is equal to or greater than the threshold set in S607 or S608 (S610). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the counter n, which is a variable of the initial value 0, is incremented by 1 (S612), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S613). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 perform reacquisition in S606. Start acquisition of reference information that is determined to be necessary.

  On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, after waiting for the time T2 to elapse after sampling the previous power generation amount P in S609 (S614), the process returns to S609 and the subsequent processing is executed. If it is determined in S610 that the power generation amount P is less than the threshold acquired in S607, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S611), the process returns to S601, and the subsequent processing is executed. In S613, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is an example, and it is needless to say that another value may be set.

  By doing so, it becomes possible to receive leap second offset ΔtLS and the like that are difficult to receive in an environment better than the weekly time TOW and week number WN, and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed.

[Embodiment 7]
In the first to sixth embodiments, it is determined whether or not the dial 2 is directed upward based on the power generation change amount dP. However, the attitude of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is detected by the acceleration sensor, and based on the detected attitude. You may make it determine the reception start timing of a satellite signal.

  As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the seventh embodiment differs from the first to sixth embodiments in that the acceleration sensor 28 is mounted on the circuit board 24 and the output is input to the controller 47. . The acceleration sensor 28 is a biaxial acceleration sensor, for example, and outputs acceleration in the direction of each detection axis as a voltage or a digital value. When the acceleration is output as a voltage, it may be converted into a digital value by an AD converter built in the controller 47. The acceleration sensor 28 is provided on the circuit board 24 so that its two detection axes are parallel to the receiving surface 14 a of the patch antenna 14. For this reason, when the patch antenna 14 is stationary vertically upward, 0 is output from the acceleration sensor 28 as the acceleration in each detection axis direction. The controller 47 calculates a mean square, root mean square, sum of squares, sum of squares, square root sum of squares, and the like of each detection axis direction as the tilt amount G, and determines the satellite signal reception start timing based on the tilt amount G.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes in the power generation amount P and the inclination amount G. In the sixth embodiment, the user wears the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 and moves outdoors. When the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, the acquisition interval of the power generation amount P is narrowed and the acceleration sensor 28 is activated. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P is equal to or smaller than the threshold value Pth, the acquisition interval of the power generation amount P is increased and the acceleration sensor 28 is stopped. In addition, when the dial 2 is directed vertically upward outdoors, the inclination amount G becomes a value near zero. Therefore, when a predetermined time elapses with the tilt amount G being close to 0, the reception of the satellite signal is started and the operation of the acceleration sensor 28 is stopped. By stopping the acceleration sensor 28 at the start of reception, unnecessary driving of the acceleration sensor 28 can be prevented and lower power consumption can be achieved.

  FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing indoor / outdoor determination and reception start timing determination processing of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the seventh embodiment. In this process, first, the controller 47 samples the power generation amount P (S701). Then, it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth (S702). If the power generation amount P does not exceed the threshold value Pth, it waits until the time T1 elapses from the previous sampling time (S703), and then samples the power generation amount P again (S701). On the other hand, if the power generation amount P exceeds the threshold value Pth, it is determined that the power has moved outdoors, and the acceleration sensor 28 is activated (S704).

  Thereafter, the controller 47 calculates the tilt amount G based on the output of the acceleration sensor 28 and samples the power generation amount P again (S705). Next, it is determined whether or not the power generation amount P is greater than or equal to the threshold value Pth (S706). If the power generation amount P is less than the threshold value Pth, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S707), and the process returns to S701. On the other hand, if the power generation amount P is equal to or greater than the threshold value Pth, it is determined whether the tilt amount G is 0 or more and less than Δ (S708). Here, Δ is set to a very small value so that the patch antenna 14 can satisfactorily receive the satellite signal. If the tilt amount G is greater than or equal to Δ, the counter n is initialized to 0 (S707), and the process returns to S701.

  On the other hand, if the tilt amount G is not less than 0 and less than Δ, the counter n is incremented by 1 (S709), and it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3 (S710). If the counter n exceeds 3, it is determined that the amount of received light is stable, the controller 47 sets the switch 56 to ON, and starts the acquisition of reference information by the high-frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. Let At this time, the operation of the acceleration sensor 28 is stopped. On the other hand, if the counter n does not exceed 3, after waiting for the time T2 to elapse after sampling the previous power generation amount P in S705 (S711), the process returns to S705 and the subsequent processing is executed. In S710, it is determined whether or not the counter n exceeds 3. However, the value “3” is merely an example, and other values may be set.

  According to the above embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not the dial 2 is facing upward using the output of the acceleration sensor 28, and only when it is determined that the dial 2 is facing upward. Since signal reception is performed, useless power consumption can be suppressed.

[Embodiment 8]
In the seventh embodiment, the attitude of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is detected using a two-axis acceleration sensor, but a one-axis acceleration sensor can also be used. That is, when the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is worn on the left arm, the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is rotated around the line connecting the 12 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position mainly by raising the arm, By the twisting operation, the rotation is performed around the line connecting the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 23, the detection axis of the uniaxial acceleration sensor 27 is provided on the circuit board 24 so as to coincide with the line connecting the position between 12:00 and 3 o'clock and the position between 9 o'clock and 6 o'clock. For example, the output of the uniaxial acceleration sensor 27 is 0 when the dial 2 is directed vertically upward, and a value other than 0 is output in other cases. When the processing of FIG. 22 is executed with the output of the uniaxial acceleration sensor 27 as the tilt amount G, the reception start timing can be appropriately determined using the uniaxial acceleration sensor 27. The uniaxial acceleration sensor 27 may be provided on the circuit board 24 so that its detection axis coincides with a line connecting a position between 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock and a position between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock.

  1 body, 2 dial, 3 hour hand, 4 minute hand, 5 second hand, 6 crown, 7 button, 8 band fixing part, 9 windshield, 10 back cover, 11 solar cell, 12 base member, 14 patch antenna, 14a receiving surface, 14b Power supply pin, 23 Motor, 24 Circuit board, 26 Battery, 100 Satellite radio wave watch.

Claims (8)

In a satellite radio wave watch that corrects the time based on the satellite signal transmitted from the satellite,
Receiving means for receiving the satellite signal;
A received light amount detecting means for sequentially detecting the received light amount of the satellite radio-controlled wrist watch;
A light reception change amount calculating means for calculating a light reception change amount which is a change amount of the light reception amount;
Receiving control means for starting the receiving operation of the satellite signal by the receiving means based on the light reception change amount;
Including a photovoltaic panel for generating the driving power of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch;
The receiving means includes a patch antenna provided so that a receiving surface thereof faces the windshield side together with the photovoltaic panel,
The satellite radio-controlled wristwatch, wherein the received light amount detecting means changes a time interval for acquiring the received light amount when the received light amount exceeds a given received light amount threshold value. The satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 1,
The reception control means starts the reception operation of the satellite signal by the reception means when the received light change amount exceeds a given change amount threshold value.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 1 or 2,
The light reception change amount calculation means starts calculation of the light reception change amount when the light reception amount exceeds the light reception amount threshold.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The reception control means starts the reception operation of the satellite signal by the reception means based on the stability of the received light amount.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. The satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 4,
The reception control means starts the reception operation of the satellite signal by the reception means when the number of consecutive times that the sequentially received light amount satisfies a given condition exceeds a given number threshold.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 5,
The reception control means changes the threshold value according to whether the current time is acquired from the satellite signal or a leap second offset is acquired.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to claim 5 or 6,
The reception control means starts the reception operation of the satellite signal by the reception means when the number of times the received light amount exceeding the given threshold exceeds the number of times threshold, The threshold is set to a different value depending on whether time information is acquired from the satellite signal or leap second information is acquired.
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. In a satellite radio wave watch that corrects the time based on the satellite signal transmitted from the satellite,
Receiving means for receiving the satellite signal;
A sensor for calculating a tilt amount of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch;
Receiving control means for starting the receiving operation of the satellite signal by the receiving means based on the amount of inclination of the satellite radio wave wristwatch calculated from the output of the sensor;
Including
The reception control means starts the reception operation of the satellite signal by the reception means when a predetermined time elapses while the inclination amount of the satellite radio wave wristwatch detected by the sensor is within a given range. ,
A satellite radio-controlled wristwatch.

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