JP5975156B2 - Electronic clock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic time meter to determine the current date and time and the like by receiving radio waves transmitted from a positioning information satellite such as a GPS satellite.

In a GPS (Global Positioning System) system, which is a system for positioning its own position, a GPS satellite having an orbit around the earth is used, and this GPS satellite is provided with an atomic clock. For this reason, the GPS satellite has extremely accurate time information (GPS time, satellite time information).
Moreover, since leap seconds are not considered in the satellite time information, it is necessary to obtain UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) by adding accumulated leap seconds. For this reason, the current satellite leap second information is included in the subframe 14 and page 18 of the GPS satellite signal, and if this leap second information is received, it can be corrected to the correct time.

  There is known a time measuring device having means for correcting leap seconds of internal time data measured by time measuring means using time information and leap second information included in the navigation data (see Patent Document 1).

  The timepiece device described in Patent Document 1 first acquires identification information and time information of subframes and pages from navigation data transmitted from GPS satellites. Next, the time until the leap second correction data is transmitted is calculated, and the navigation data is received by the receiving means when the leap second correction data is received. Then, the leap second of the internal time data of the time measuring means is corrected based on the leap second correction data included in the received navigation data.

JP 2008-145287 A

  By the way, the timing device of Patent Document 1 performs the reception operation even when the reception operation is not necessary or in a place where the GPS satellite cannot be received, and the power consumption increases. For this reason, there is a problem that the duration time is shortened in a portable small device having a small battery capacity such as a wristwatch.

The present invention is, in view of the above problems, it is possible to reduce the power consumption by efficiently acquire leap seconds information, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic time meter can display the correct time.

  The present invention includes a receiving means for receiving a satellite signal, a battery for supplying power, a leap second information acquiring means for operating the receiving means to receive a satellite signal and acquiring leap second information included in the satellite signal. Battery remaining amount measuring means for measuring the battery remaining amount that is the remaining amount of the battery, wherein the leap second information acquiring means is configured such that the battery remaining amount measured by the battery remaining amount measuring means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, the frequency of receiving the satellite signal is increased as compared with the case of less than a predetermined value.

  In the present invention, the reception frequency is lowered when the remaining battery level is low below a predetermined value, and the reception frequency is increased when it is higher than a predetermined value. For example, if the battery voltage is detected as the remaining battery level and the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined value of 3.8V, the reception frequency is set to be received once every hour or less than 3.8V. If so, the reception frequency is once a day. Further, when the battery voltage is lower, for example, less than 3.6 V, there is no reception frequency, that is, the reception process for acquiring leap second information may not be performed.

In the present invention, since the leap second information acquisition means lowers the reception frequency when the remaining battery level is low, the remaining battery level decreases due to the power consumption by the reception process, and the system goes down. It can be prevented beforehand.
Further, the leap second information acquisition means increases the reception frequency and frequently receives the battery voltage when there is a margin. For this reason, leap second information can be acquired early.
For GPS satellite signals, leap second updates usually add June 23 or December 31 23:59:60 (if +1 second) or delete 23:59:59 (-1 second) Case).
The adjustment of addition / deletion of leap seconds has been announced for about half a year, and the satellite signal after the announcement has “leap second update date” and “after update” as leap second information as the leap second information. Information on the new leap second of "no leap second" is included.
If the leap second update date is reached in a state where the leap second information cannot be acquired, the accurate time cannot be displayed thereafter.
On the other hand, in the present invention, when there is a surplus in the remaining battery level, the reception frequency is increased and frequently received, so leap second information can be acquired early and the leap second can be reliably updated on the leap second update date. Can be updated. Furthermore, since the reception frequency is set according to the remaining battery level, the reception frequency can be lowered or the reception process can be stopped if the remaining battery level is reduced, and the system can be prevented from going down.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the electronic timepiece includes a light amount detection unit that detects a light amount irradiated to the electronic timepiece, and the leap second information acquisition unit performs a process of acquiring leap second information at a frequency according to the remaining battery level. In addition, it is preferable to perform a process of acquiring the leap second information when the light amount detected by the light amount detection unit is equal to or greater than a preset light amount threshold value.

The amount of light differs greatly between indoor illumination light and outdoor sunlight. For this reason, it is possible to set in advance a light amount threshold value that can distinguish between when the electronic timepiece is indoors and when it is outdoors.
As a result, if the amount of light detected by the light amount detection means is equal to or greater than the light amount threshold, it can be assumed that the electronic timepiece is located outdoors. If only leap second information is acquired in this case, acquisition of leap second information is successful. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform useless reception processing, so that power consumption can be reduced.
For this reason, according to the present invention, the reception frequency is set according to the remaining battery level, and when the reception operation is actually performed with the set reception frequency, only when the detected light amount is equal to or greater than the light amount threshold value. Since the receiving operation is performed, leap second information can be efficiently acquired while preventing the system from going down.

  In the electronic timepiece according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the leap second information acquisition unit sets the light amount threshold value to be higher as the remaining battery level is lower and to be set lower as the remaining battery level is higher.

When the remaining battery level is high, the light intensity threshold is set lower than when the battery level is low. And when the light intensity threshold is lowered, not only the place where the sky is open outdoors, but also the place where the electronic watch is placed outdoors, such as in a place hidden behind a fence or indoor windows, will be received. . When the remaining battery level is high, even when such a reception environment is not always good, the reception process is performed, so leap second information can be acquired early. Also, because the reception environment is not good, it may not be possible to capture the satellite, or it may take a long time to acquire leap second information and power consumption may increase, but the battery level is high. It is possible to prevent the system from going down.
On the other hand, when the remaining battery level is low, the light amount threshold is set higher than when the battery level is high, so that the reception process can be performed only outdoors where there is a high possibility of receiving satellite signals. Therefore, the reception processing time can be shortened and the power consumption can be reduced.

  In the electronic timepiece according to the aspect of the invention, the electronic timepiece includes a power generation device, the battery is a secondary battery that accumulates electric power generated by the power generation device, and the battery remaining amount measuring unit measures the remaining amount of the secondary battery. It is preferable.

If a power generation device and a secondary battery are provided as the power source, even if the remaining battery level is once reduced, the reception process can be started again or the frequency can be increased if the remaining battery level is increased by power generation.
In addition, when a solar panel is provided as a power generation device, the solar panel can be used as a light amount detection means in addition to using the solar panel as a power generation device. That is, since the power generation state of the solar panel changes depending on the amount of light applied, the amount of light applied to the solar panel can be detected by detecting the power generation state of the solar panel.
Therefore, since the power generation device and the light quantity detection means can be shared by the solar panel, the number of parts can be reduced and the electronic timepiece can be easily downsized and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the light quantity detection means is provided separately.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the leap second information acquisition means executes a process of acquiring the leap second information when the date measured by the time measurement means enters a preset reception period, and in the reception period, After obtaining leap second information, it is preferable not to perform reception processing for obtaining leap second information until the reception period ends.

Here, the reception period may be a period in which leap second information may be announced. For example, June 30 and December 31 that are likely to be updated dates are set at the end of the period. Then, it may be set for the previous 3 months or 6 months.
In the present invention, since the leap second information acquisition process is executed when the reception period starts, if the leap second information is updated, the probability that the updated information can be acquired can be improved. In addition, if the leap second information is acquired once during the reception period, the leap second information is not acquired again during the reception period, so unnecessary leap second acquisition processing is not performed and power consumption is reduced. it can.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the leap second information acquisition unit executes a process of acquiring the leap second information when the date counted by the time measurement unit enters a preset reception period, and the remainder of the reception period When the period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period, it is preferable that the light intensity threshold is set lower than before the predetermined period is not longer than the predetermined period.

The remaining period of the reception period is the remaining period until the end of the reception period. For example, when the reception period is set to three months, the remaining period when one month has elapsed from the start of the reception period is two months.
In the present invention, when the remaining period is equal to or less than a preset period, for example, 30 days or less, the light amount threshold set at the start of the reception period is set to a lower value. For this reason, even if the leap second information acquisition process is not performed because it is less than the light amount threshold value at the start of the reception period, the leap second information is acquired by entering the remaining period and changing the light amount threshold value to a lower value. Processing can be performed. For this reason, the probability that leap second information can be acquired before the end of the reception period can be improved.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the leap second information acquisition unit executes a process of acquiring the leap second information when the date counted by the time measurement unit enters a preset reception period, and the remainder of the reception period When the period becomes equal to or shorter than the predetermined period, it is preferable that the frequency of receiving the satellite signal is made higher than before the predetermined period is not reached.

  In the present invention, when the remaining period is equal to or shorter than a preset period, for example, 30 days or less, the reception frequency set at the start of the reception period is set higher. That is, since the reception frequency is the number of receptions within a predetermined time, the reception interval is set shorter. For this reason, when the reception period starts, for example, the reception frequency once a day is changed to a reception period with a short reception interval, for example, one reception frequency per hour. Information acquisition processing can be performed. For this reason, the probability that leap second information can be acquired before the end of the reception period can be improved.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the leap second information acquisition means stops reception when the satellite signal cannot be received within a predetermined timeout time after starting reception, and sets the timeout time to the battery. It is preferable that the shorter the remaining amount is set, the shorter the remaining amount is set, and the longer the remaining amount of the battery is set.

According to the present invention, at the time of reception processing for acquiring leap second information, reception is stopped when a predetermined timeout time elapses without receiving a satellite signal. For this reason, for example, it is possible to prevent the reception process from continuing in a state where the satellite signal cannot be received, as in the case where the reception process is performed in an environment unsuitable for receiving the satellite signal.
Furthermore, since this timeout time is set according to the remaining battery level, especially when the remaining battery level is high, it is possible to lengthen the time until reception stops and increase the probability of receiving satellite signals. it can.
Further, when the remaining battery level is low, the timeout time is shortened, so that it is possible to prevent the reception process from continuing for a long time and causing the system to go down.

  In the electronic timepiece of the invention, the leap second information acquisition unit executes a process of acquiring the leap second information when the date counted by the time measurement unit enters a preset reception period, and the remainder of the reception period When the period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period, it is preferable that the time-out period is longer than that before the predetermined period.

  In the present invention, when the remaining period is equal to or less than a preset period, for example, one month or less, the timeout time set at the start of the reception period is set longer. For example, when the reception period starts, the timeout time is set to 1 minute, and when the remaining period starts, the time is set to 3 minutes. For this reason, the time which continues reception becomes long, and the probability that the leap second information can be acquired before the reception period ends can be improved.

  The present invention provides a receiving means for receiving a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite, a battery for supplying electric power, and operating the receiving means to receive a satellite signal, and the leap second information included in the satellite signal. An electronic timepiece control method comprising: a leap second information acquisition unit to acquire; and a battery remaining amount measuring unit that measures the remaining battery level, wherein the remaining battery level is measured by the remaining battery level measuring unit. When the measured remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the leap second information acquisition unit receives the satellite signal more frequently than when the remaining battery level is less than the predetermined value.

  According to the present invention, the same effect as the electronic timepiece can be obtained.

It is the schematic which shows the main circuit structures of the wristwatch with GPS which is an electronic timepiece which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the main system structures etc. of the wristwatch with GPS of FIG. It is a graph which shows an example of the relationship between illumination intensity and electric power generation amount. It is a figure which shows the format of navigation data. It is a figure which shows the transmission timing of leap second update information. It is a flowchart which shows the reception process of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the reception process of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the reception process of 4th embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the reception process of 5th embodiment of this invention.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a main hardware configuration and the like of a wristwatch 1 with a GPS satellite signal receiving device (hereinafter referred to as “GPS wristwatch 1”) which is an electronic timepiece according to the present invention.

The GPS wristwatch 1 is configured to receive satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting the earth over a predetermined orbit, obtain satellite time information, and correct and display the internal time information. ing.
The GPS satellite is an example of the position information satellite in the present invention, and a plurality of GPS satellites exist above the earth. Currently, about 30 GPS satellites orbit.
The GPS wristwatch 1 is provided with buttons and crowns that are external operation members.

[Circuit configuration of GPS wristwatch]
Next, the circuit configuration of the GPS wristwatch 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the GPS wristwatch 1 includes a GPS device (GPS module) 10, a control unit (CPU) 20, a storage device (storage unit) 30, an input device 40, a display device 50, a secondary battery 60, solar power. A panel 70 is provided. The storage device 30 includes a RAM 31 and a ROM 32. Each of these devices communicates data via the data bus 80 or the like.
The display device 50 includes a pointer (second hand, minute hand, hour hand) for displaying time and positioning information and a display.
The secondary battery 60 is a battery that can store the power generated by the solar panel 70 that is a power generation device. The secondary battery 60 and the solar panel 70 constitute a power source that supplies power to the GPS wristwatch 1. Has been.

[Configuration of GPS device]
The GPS device 10 includes a GPS antenna 11 and processes satellite signals received via the GPS antenna 11 to acquire time information and position information.
The GPS antenna 11 includes a patch antenna that receives satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting the earth over a predetermined orbit. The GPS antenna 11 is disposed on the back side of the dial and is configured to receive radio waves that have passed through the surface glass and dial of the GPS wristwatch 1.
For this reason, the dial and the surface glass are made of a material that transmits radio waves that are satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites. For example, the dial is made of plastic.

  Although the GPS device is not shown in the figure, the RF (Radio Frequency) unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and converts it into a digital signal and a correlation determination of the received signal are performed in the same manner as a normal GPS device. And a BB unit (baseband unit) that performs synchronization and an information acquisition unit that acquires time information and positioning information from a navigation message (satellite signal) demodulated by the BB unit.

The RF unit includes a bandpass filter, a PLL circuit, an IF filter, a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator), an ADC (A / D converter), a mixer, an LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), an IF amplifier, and the like.
The satellite signal extracted by the band pass filter is amplified by the LNA, mixed with the VCO signal by the mixer, and down-converted to IF (Intermediate Frequency). The IF mixed by the mixer passes through an IF amplifier and IF filter, and is converted into a digital signal by an ADC (A / D converter).

The BB unit generates a local code generation unit that generates a local code composed of the same C / A code as that used at the time of transmission by a GPS satellite, and a correlation value between the local code and a reception signal output from the RF unit. And a correlation unit to calculate.
If the correlation value calculated by the correlator is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the C / A code used for the received satellite signal matches the generated local code, and the satellite signal is captured. (Synchronized). Therefore, the navigation message can be demodulated by correlating the received satellite signal with the local code.

The information acquisition unit acquires time information and position information from the navigation message demodulated by the BB unit. That is, the navigation message transmitted from the GPS satellite includes preamble data, HOW (Handover Word) TOW (Time of Week, also referred to as “Z count”), and subframe data. There are subframe data from subframe 1 to subframe 5. Each subframe includes, for example, satellite correction data including week number data and satellite health data, and ephemeris (detailed orbit information for each GPS satellite). And data such as almanac (general orbit information of all GPS satellites).
Therefore, the information acquisition unit extracts a predetermined data portion from the received navigation message, and acquires time information and position information. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the GPS device 10 constitutes a receiving unit.

The ROM 32 of the storage device 30 stores a program executed by the control unit 20.
On the other hand, the RAM 31 of the storage device 30 stores satellite signals acquired by reception, time information and leap second information described later, and position information calculated by positioning calculation when received in the positioning mode.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the RAM 31 includes a time information storage unit 311 for storing time information acquired by reception and a leap second information storage unit 312 for storing acquired leap second information.

FIG. 2 shows a system configuration block of the GPS wristwatch 1 of the present embodiment.
The control unit (CPU) 20 controls the satellite signal receiving unit 10A of the GPS device 10 and corrects the time information based on the acquired time information and leap second information.
The control unit 20 performs various controls according to programs stored in the ROM 32. Therefore, the control unit 20 includes an acquisition permission determination unit 21, an acquisition timing determination unit 22, a reception operation determination unit 23, a reception timing determination unit 24, and a time information correction unit 25.

The acquisition possibility determination unit 21 refers to the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 and determines whether an environment suitable for receiving satellite signals, that is, whether satellite signals can be acquired.
Specifically, when the power generation amount (light amount) from the solar panel 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined light amount threshold value, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 is suitable for receiving the satellite signal when the wristwatch 1 is outdoors. It is determined that the satellite signal can be acquired.

That is, the light amount threshold is set based on the relationship between the illuminance of light incident on the solar panel 70 and the amount of power generation. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the relative power generation amount and the illuminance when the power generation amount of 10,000 lx (10,000 lux) is 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the amount of power generated by the solar panel 70 is highest in clear sky (daytime), and the amount of power generated in cloudy sky is lower than that in clear sky. Furthermore, in the case of indoors, the amount of power generation is reduced compared to cloudy weather.
And as the power generation environment is outdoor, it is better than indoors regardless of whether it is cloudy or sunny, the light intensity threshold is indoor (about 5000 lx: about 5000 lux or less) and outdoor (about 5000 lx or more) The power generation amount is set to a value that can be distinguished. In the case of FIG. 3, if the light quantity threshold value in the relative power generation amount is set to about 0.5, it is possible to determine whether it is indoors or outdoors based on the power generation amount. When the GPS wristwatch 1 is placed outdoors, the reception environment from the GPS satellite can be considered good.

  On the other hand, if the power generation amount from the solar panel 70 is less than the light amount threshold value, the acquisition possibility determination means 21 indicates that the GPS wristwatch 1 is indoors and is not suitable for acquiring satellite signals. to decide.

  The acquisition time determination means 22 determines that it is time to acquire leap second information (reception period) based on the internal clock. Specifically, the acquisition time determination unit 22 determines whether or not a predetermined period before the leap second update date has come. Since the leap second insertion date is June 30 or December 31 when the first priority is Japan time, in the present embodiment, as the acquisition period of the leap second information, the first priority of June 30 and 12 is used. Three months before the month 31 are set as the start of the acquisition period, and June 30 and December 31 are set as the end. For this reason, the acquisition time discriminating means 22 determines that the leap second information acquisition time has come if it falls between April 1 and June 30 and October 1 and December 31 in Japan time.

  The receiving operation determination unit 23 detects the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 60 to which the power generated by the solar panel 70 is charged. Specifically, the reception operation determination unit 23 detects a battery voltage of the secondary battery 60, and the reception operation determination unit 23 constitutes a battery remaining amount measurement unit.

The reception timing determination unit 24 sets the reception frequency according to the battery voltage detected by the reception operation determination unit 23, that is, the remaining battery level, and controls the satellite signal reception unit 10A to acquire leap second information. Accordingly, the reception timing determination means 24 constitutes leap second information acquisition means.
Specifically, when the detected voltage of the secondary battery 60 is less than 3.6 V, the reception timing determination unit 24 sets the reception frequency (leap second detection interval) to “none” because the remaining battery level is low. Set and do not receive.
Further, when the battery voltage is 3.6 V or more and less than 3.8 V, the reception timing discriminating means 24 performs the reception operation with the reception frequency once a day (leap second detection interval 2), and the battery voltage is 3 In the case of .8V or higher, the reception frequency is set to be continuous (that is, the reception operation is always performed) (leap second detection interval 1).
Thus, the reception timing determination unit 24 controls the satellite signal reception unit 10A of the GPS device 10 based on the determination results of the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 and the reception operation determination unit 23, and performs reception processing.
Further, as will be described later, the reception timing determination unit 24 calculates the reception timing of leap second information and operates the satellite signal reception unit 10A at a timing suitable for acquiring leap second information.

The satellite signal receiving unit 10A performs reception processing to acquire time information and leap second information. Further, the acquisition result of the information is output to the reception timing determination unit 24.
Further, the time information and leap second information received by the satellite signal receiving unit 10A are stored in the time information storage unit 311 and leap second information storage unit 312 of the RAM 31.

  The time information correction unit 25 controls the display device 50 including the time display driving unit 51 and the time display unit 52. The time display unit 52 is composed of hands, and the time display drive unit 51 is composed of a motor that drives the hands.

Next, the reception timing of leap second information in the reception timing determination unit 24 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a frame structure of the navigation message.
The satellite signal transmitted from the GPS satellite includes data called a navigation message. This navigation message includes orbit information, time information, etc., and this data is transmitted at a speed of 50 bps.
One cycle of the navigation message is called a unit called a frame, and has a structure as shown in FIG. Since one frame is 1500 bits, it takes 30 seconds to transmit it. A frame is composed of five sets of subframes, each having a size of 300 bits. Transmission starts in order from subframe 1 and when transmission to subframe 5 is completed, transmission returns to subframe 1 again.

  Of the five sets of subframes, subframes 1 to 3 contain information specific to each satellite, so the same content is repeatedly transmitted each time. Specifically, the clock correction information of the transmitting satellite itself, Orbital information (ephemeris) is included. On the other hand, subframes 4 and 5 include orbit information (almanac) and ionosphere correction information of all satellites, and these are divided into pages and accommodated in subframes because of the large number of data.

  That is, the data transmitted in subframes 4 and 5 are each divided into pages 1 to 25, and the contents of different pages are sent in order for each frame. Since it takes 25 frames to transmit the contents of all pages, it takes 12 minutes and 30 seconds to receive all the information of the navigation message.

FIG. 5 shows the transmission timing of leap second information. The leap second information is stored in the page 18 of the subframe 4 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the current leap second Δt _LS , leap second update week WN _LSF , leap second update date DN, and updated leap second Δt _LSF are stored in bit positions 241 to 278 of subframe 4 and page 18. Has been. Among these, the leap second update week, the leap second update date, and the updated leap second are information necessary for the next leap second update process, and constitute leap second information of the present invention. The leap second information is not stored as data until execution of leap seconds is determined, but when execution is determined, it is stored as data from about six months before the update date. Accordingly, if page 18 of subframe 4 is received, leap second information can be acquired.

  The navigation message of the satellite signal is transmitted with reference to midnight on the first Sunday of the week. For this reason, the timing (12.5 minute interval) at which the page 18 of the subframe 4 is transmitted can be easily grasped.

On the other hand, since the time information (Z count) is stored in all the subframes, it can be received at intervals of 6 seconds. Further, since the week number is stored in the subframe 1, it can be received at intervals of 30 seconds.
When the satellite signal receiving unit 10A is activated for time acquisition, the reception timing determination unit 24 is the timing at which the leap second information is transmitted at the internal time, that is, the timing at which the page 18 of the subframe 4 is transmitted. Then, receive processing is performed. Note that the internal time may deviate from the GPS satellite time. In this case, the page or subframe being received is identified, the time until the page 18 of the subframe 4 storing the leap second information is transmitted, that is, the reception timing is calculated, and the reception process is performed at that timing. Good.

In addition, the reception timing determination unit 24 receives the reception result output from the satellite signal receiving unit 10A, and when acquisition of leap second information is successful, acquisition of leap second information until the end of the reception period thereafter. Control not to execute the process. For example, if the leap second information can be acquired on April 15 in the reception period from April 1 to June 30, leap second information acquisition processing is performed until the reception period ends, that is, until June 30. Do not execute. This is because, during this reception period, leap second information has the same content, so once received, it is not necessary to receive it thereafter.
In this case, since July 1st, the acquisition time discriminating means 22 determines that it is not the leap second acquisition time, and therefore the leap second will be used until the next reception period (October 1st to December 31st). Acquisition processing is not executed.
In addition, what is necessary is just to perform the process which receives normal time information (Z count) regularly, such as once a day.

  The time information correction unit 25 is based on the time information stored in the time information storage unit 311, the current leap second stored in the leap second information storage unit 312, and the time difference information of the current location. Correct the time. The time difference information may be set manually by the user, or a satellite signal is received and a positioning process is performed to obtain the current location, and time difference information corresponding to the current location is obtained from the time difference table stored in the RAM 31. May be set.

In addition, when the leap second information is acquired, the time information correction unit 25 updates the current leap second to the updated leap second when the leap second update date / time is reached, and corrects the time being measured.
Further, the time information correction unit 25 keeps updating the time display of the time display unit 52 via the time display driving unit 51 by measuring the internal time based on a reference signal from an oscillation circuit (not shown). Therefore, the time information correcting unit 25 also constitutes the time measuring means of the present invention.
The time display drive unit 51 is a motor that drives the hands and a circuit that drives the display.

[Receive processing]
Next, the control in the control part 20 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process of FIG. 6 is a process when the acquisition time determination means 22 refers to the internal time and receives leap second information that is executed when the acquisition time of leap second information is entered.
That is, when the acquisition time determination means 22 refers to the internal time and determines that the leap second information acquisition time has come, the acquisition time determination means 22 outputs a signal notifying that the leap second information acquisition time has come to the reception operation determination means 23.
Then, the reception operation determination unit 23 starts the leap second information acquisition process of the flowchart of FIG.

First, the receiving operation determination unit 23 measures the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 60 (S1). Specifically, the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is detected. Then, the reception operation determination unit 23 determines whether the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (first predetermined value) (S2). The first threshold is set to 3.8V, and if the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is 3.8V or higher, it is determined Yes in S2.
If it is determined No in S2, the reception operation determination unit 23 determines whether the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is equal to or higher than the second threshold value (second predetermined value) (S3). The second threshold value is set to 3.6V, and if the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is not less than 3.6V and less than 3.8V, it is determined as Yes in S3.
The determination result of the battery voltage (remaining battery level) is output from the reception operation determination unit 23 to the reception timing determination unit 24.

[When battery voltage is less than 3.6V]
If it is determined No in S3, since the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is less than 3.6V and the remaining battery level is low, the reception timing determination unit 24 that has received the determination result sets the reception frequency to “none”. Setting is performed, and reception processing is not performed (S4). Then, the process returns to the remaining battery level measurement process (S1) to continue the process.

[When battery voltage is 3.8V or higher]
When it is determined Yes in S2, the reception timing determination unit 24 sets the leap second detection interval 1 as the reception frequency (S5). In the present embodiment, the leap second detection interval 1 is set to perform a normal leap second detection process, that is, continuous leap second detection.

Next, the acquisition possibility determination means 21 determines whether or not it is outdoors based on the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 (S6).
In the present embodiment, as described above, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 determines whether the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 is equal to or greater than the light amount threshold, so that the GPS wristwatch 1 can receive a GPS signal, that is, outdoors. It is determined whether it is in.

If it is determined No in S6, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 continues the determination process of S6 and does not start the reception process.
On the other hand, when it is determined Yes in S <b> 6, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 outputs a signal indicating that the wristwatch 1 is outdoors to the reception operation determination unit 23. Then, the reception operation determination unit 23 outputs a signal for starting reception to the reception timing determination unit 24, and the reception timing determination unit 24 drives the satellite signal reception unit 10A to start reception (S7).
The reception timing discriminating means 24 controls the satellite signal receiving unit 10A to operate in accordance with the transmission timing of leap second information based on the internal time data so that the reception time can be shortened as much as possible. When the internal time data is deviated, the satellite signal receiving unit 10A may be operated with a deviation from the leap second information transmission timing. Since the transmission timing of the second information can be detected, the next reception process may be executed in accordance with the timing.

The reception timing determination means 24 determines whether or not the leap second information has been successfully received as a result of the reception processing performed by the satellite signal reception unit 10A (S8).
When it is determined Yes in S8, the reception timing determination unit 24 ends the leap second information reception process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined No in S8, the reception timing determination unit 24 determines whether the leap second detection interval 1 has elapsed (S9). Since the leap second detection interval 1 is set to always receive, it is immediately determined Yes in S9. For this reason, it returns to the battery remaining amount measurement process of S1, and continues a process.

[When the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V or more]
When it is determined Yes in S3, the reception timing determination unit 24 sets the leap second detection interval 2 as the reception frequency. In the present embodiment, the leap second detection interval 2 is set to perform leap second detection processing once a day (S10).

And the acquisition propriety judgment means 21 performs the same process as the case where a battery voltage is 3.8V or more. That is, the availability determination means 21 determines whether or not it is outdoors based on the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 (S11), and continues to detect the power generation amount until Yes in S11.
On the other hand, if it is determined Yes in S11, the reception timing determination means 24 drives the satellite signal receiving unit 10A to start reception (S12).

The reception timing determination means 24 determines whether or not the leap second information has been successfully received as a result of the reception processing performed by the satellite signal reception unit 10A (S13).
When it is determined Yes in S13, the reception timing determination unit 24 ends the leap second information reception process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined No in S13, the reception timing determination unit 24 determines whether the leap second detection interval 2 has elapsed (S14). Since the leap second detection interval 2 is set to receive once a day, it is determined Yes in S14 when one day has passed. Then, it returns to the battery remaining amount measurement process of S1 and continues the process.

As described above, the leap second information acquisition process is performed according to the processing flow shown in FIG. 6 until the leap second information is acquired.
The leap second information is transmitted until the leap second is updated, so the leap second information is acquired until the next acquisition time if it is acquired once after the leap second acquisition time. There is no need. Accordingly, the leap second information acquisition process of FIG. 6 is performed only once at one leap second acquisition time.
Thereafter, if it is found from the leap second information that leap second update is executed, leap second processing is performed at the execution time (usually June 30 or December 31). Thereby, the time display unit 52 can display the correct time.

[Effects of Embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the remaining battery level is detected by the receiving operation determination unit 23, and the reception timing determination unit 24 sets the reception frequency for acquiring leap second information according to the remaining battery level. In addition, leap second information can be acquired early.
That is, when the remaining battery level is as high as 3.8 V or higher, the reception process for acquiring leap second information is always performed, and therefore leap second information can be acquired early. In addition, since the reception process is performed while the remaining battery level is measured, it is possible to prevent the remaining battery level from being suddenly lowered and the system going down.

  In addition, when the remaining battery level is 3.6 to 3.8 V, the leap second information detection interval is once a day, so that the decrease in the remaining battery level can be suppressed and the duration can be extended. At the same time, leap second information can be acquired relatively early. In particular, the acquisition time of leap second information is set to, for example, three months, etc., so even if it is received once a day, about 30 reception processes are executed in one month to obtain leap second information. The probability of being able to do is high. Accordingly, leap second information can be obtained reliably by the update date when leap second update processing is performed, and even when leap second is updated, it can be corrected to the correct time.

  Furthermore, when the remaining battery level is less than 3.6 V, the leap second information reception process is not performed, so that a sudden system failure can be prevented. Also in this case, leap second information can be acquired if the solar panel 70 is exposed to light and the remaining battery level increases, so the probability that leap second information can be acquired at the acquisition time (reception period) of leap second information is also high. it can.

  Furthermore, since the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 is detected by the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 and the reception process is performed only when the wristwatch 1 can be estimated to be outdoors, the reception environment is different, for example, when the wristwatch 1 is placed indoors. If it is bad, no reception process is performed. For this reason, when a reception process is performed, a satellite signal can be received efficiently. Therefore, the possibility of succeeding in obtaining leap second information is increased, power consumption can be reduced, and battery life can be extended.

In addition, since the acquisition time determination means 22 determines the acquisition period of leap second information, the reception process can be performed only during the period in which the leap second information needs to be acquired, and leap second information can be acquired efficiently. It is possible to reduce useless reception processing and power consumption.
In addition, since the reception timing discriminating unit 24 receives the leap second information in accordance with the transmission timing, the leap second information can be reliably and efficiently acquired. In other words, by providing the reception timing discriminating means 24, only the page 18 of the subframe 4 can be received, so that the reception time can be shortened to about 30 seconds at the maximum, and reception without calculating the reception timing is possible. The power consumption can be reduced compared to the case of doing so.

  Furthermore, when the leap second information is acquired, the reception timing determination unit 24 does not perform the leap second information acquisition process until the leap second information acquisition period for which the leap second information has been acquired ends. Can be minimized. In this respect as well, power consumption can be reduced and battery life can be extended.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the second embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, a time-out determination is added during the reception process.
Accordingly, in the process of the second embodiment, the same processes as those in the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the leap second reception period is reached, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21, the acquisition timing determination unit 22, the reception operation determination unit 23, and the reception timing determination unit 24 Measurement (S1), battery voltage and threshold comparison (S2, S3), leap second detection interval setting (S5, S10), outdoor determination (S6, S11), reception start (S7, S12) are executed. .

Then, the reception timing determination unit 24 determines whether or not a time-out has occurred in a state in which the satellite signal cannot be received after the start of the reception process of S7 and S12 (S21 and S22).
That is, when a signal is received from a GPS satellite, first, search processing for capturing a satellite that can be received at the present time is performed. At this time, when the GPS wristwatch 1 does not acquire the orbit information (almanac parameters) of all the satellites and cold start the satellite acquisition process, the GPS satellites are randomly searched. In this case, for example, the search is sequentially performed from the No. 1 GPS satellite to the No. 30 GPS satellite. This search process can capture a satellite in about 2 seconds in an environment where a relatively strong signal level satellite can be captured.
Therefore, if the satellite signal cannot be received even after performing the satellite search process (reception process) for a certain time, it can be said that the environment is not suitable for reception as in the case where the GPS wristwatch 1 is placed indoors. .
In the present embodiment, an environment that is not suitable for reception is grasped by performing timeout determination processing (S21, S22).

Note that the determination time for determining the timeout is switched according to the battery voltage. That is, when it is determined Yes in S2 and the reception process in S7 is performed, the battery voltage is at a high level of 3.8 V or higher. For this reason, the reception timing discriminating means 24 sets the timeout time as long as 3 minutes, for example.
On the other hand, when it is determined Yes in S3 and the reception process in S12 is performed, the battery voltage is in the range of 3.6 to 3.8V. For this reason, the reception timing discriminating means 24 sets the timeout time to a time shorter than that in the case of S21, for example, 1 minute.

If it is determined No in S21 and S22, that is, if the satellite signal can be received before the time-out, the processes after S8 and S13 are executed as in the first embodiment.
On the other hand, if it is determined Yes in S21 and S22, it can be estimated that the reception environment is not good because the satellite signal could not be received within the timeout time. In this case, there is a high possibility that power is wasted even if the reception process is continued.
Therefore, the reception timing determination unit 24 stops the reception process and suspends the process for a predetermined time (S23, S24). For example, the reception process is kept stopped for 1 hour. And when predetermined time passes, the process of S9 and S14 is performed.

Here, since the leap second detection interval 1 of S9 is set to the frequency of constant reception, it is immediately determined Yes, and the process returns to S1 and continues.
On the other hand, since the leap second detection interval 2 of S14 is set to a reception frequency of once a day, it is determined Yes after one day has elapsed since the start of the previous reception, and the process returns to S1 and continues.

[Operational effects of the second embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
Furthermore, since the timeout is determined in S21 and S22, it is possible to prevent the useless reception process from being continued when the reception environment is very bad and the GPS satellite cannot be captured at all. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the battery voltage from being lowered due to an increase in power consumption and the system from going down.

Furthermore, since the timeout time in S21 and S22 is set according to the battery voltage measured in S1, the reception probability of the satellite signal can be improved while preventing the system from being down. In other words, when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or more, the timeout time of S21 is set to 3 minutes, so when entering an environment that is temporarily unsuitable for reception and then becomes an environment where reception is possible, There is an advantage that satellite signals can be received and the acquisition probability of leap second information can be improved. For example, when a user wearing the GPS wristwatch 1 is walking and is out of the cage by walking even if the satellite signal cannot be received due to temporarily entering the shade of the building at the time of reception. Because satellite signals can be received by using this function, the acquisition probability of leap second information can be improved.
On the other hand, when the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V, since the timeout time of S22 is set to 1 minute, the reception process will not be continued for 1 minute or longer without receiving the satellite signal. Therefore, useless power consumption can be prevented.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment, the light amount threshold value used in the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 is set according to the measured value of the battery voltage. Accordingly, the configuration of the GPS wristwatch 1 and the processing flow are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and thus will not be described.

In each of the embodiments described above, the light intensity threshold values in S6 and S11 are the same value (voltage corresponding to 5000 lx).
On the other hand, in the third embodiment, for example, when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or more, the light amount threshold value in S6 is set to a voltage corresponding to 3000 lx (3,000 lux), and 3.6 to 3.8 V. In this case, the light amount threshold value in S11 is set to a voltage corresponding to 10000 lx (10,000 lux).

[Operational effects of the third embodiment]
According to the third embodiment, the same effects as the above-described embodiments can be obtained, and the following effects can also be obtained.
That is, when the battery voltage is high (3.8 V or higher), the light intensity threshold is a low value, so that the reception process is executed even indoors. Even indoors, there is a possibility that a signal from a satellite with a low elevation angle can be received from a window or the like. If the battery voltage is high, the system is unlikely to go down even if satellite signals cannot be received. Therefore, if the light amount threshold is lowered, the probability of performing reception processing is increased, and the probability that leap second information can be acquired at an early stage can be improved.
On the other hand, when the battery voltage is lower (3.6 to 3.8 V), the light intensity threshold is a high value, so that the reception process is performed only when it is determined that the outdoor is surely outdoors, and the reception process is performed. The probability of receiving satellite signals can be improved.

[Fourth Embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, the light amount threshold value used in the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 is set according to the remaining period of the reception period. Therefore, the configuration of the GPS wristwatch 1 is the same as that of the first and second embodiments, and is omitted.

In the first embodiment, the light amount threshold values in S6 and S11 are the same value (voltage corresponding to 5000 lx) in the reception period.
On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the acquisition time determination means 22 determines whether the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or less than a predetermined period before the outdoor determination process (S6, S11). (S31, S32). Specifically, it is determined whether the remaining period (the remaining number of days) of the reception period is 30 days or less.

If the remaining period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period and it is determined Yes in S31 and S32, the acquisition possibility determination unit 21 changes the light amount threshold value to a lower value (S33 and S34).
For example, if the light intensity threshold at the start of the reception period is a voltage corresponding to 5000 lx, the light intensity threshold is changed to a voltage corresponding to 3000 lx in S33 and S34.

  In addition, what is necessary is just to change according to a remaining period, also when changing the light quantity threshold value with battery voltage like 3rd embodiment. For example, when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or higher, the light intensity threshold at the start of the reception period is set to a voltage corresponding to 3000 lx, and when the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V, it is set to a voltage corresponding to 10000 lx. Suppose you are. In this case, when the remaining period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period, for example, when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or higher, the voltage is set to 1000 lx, and when the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V, the voltage is set to 3000 lx. do it.

[Effects of Fourth Embodiment]
According to the fourth embodiment, the same effects as the above-described embodiments can be obtained, and the following effects can also be obtained.
When the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or less than the predetermined period, the light amount threshold is lowered, so that the probability of being determined as Yes in S6 and S11 increases, and the number of executions of reception processing of leap second information also increases. The probability that it can be acquired can be improved. Accordingly, leap second information can be received by the end of the reception period, and even when leap second update processing is performed, the correct time can be reliably displayed.

[Fifth embodiment]
In the fifth embodiment, the leap second detection interval set by the reception timing discrimination means 24 is set according to the remaining period of the reception period. Therefore, the configuration of the GPS wristwatch 1 is the same as that of the above embodiment, and is omitted.

In the first embodiment, the leap second detection interval determined in S9 and S14 is set based only on the battery voltage.
In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the reception timing determination unit 24 determines whether the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or less than a predetermined period before the processes of S9 and S14 (S41). , S42). Specifically, it is determined whether the remaining period (the remaining number of days) of the reception period is 30 days or less.

When the remaining period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period and it is determined Yes in S41 and S42, the reception timing determination unit 24 shortens the leap second detection interval. That is, the reception frequency of leap second information is increased.
In the present embodiment, since the leap second detection interval 1 is always detected, the reception frequency cannot be further increased. For this reason, the reception timing discriminating unit 24 detects only the leap second detection interval 2 from the detection interval (reception frequency) once a day, for example, once every hour, or the same detection as the leap second detection interval 1. (S43).
Note that if the leap second detection interval 1 is not always, for example, once a hour, the leap second detection interval 1 may be changed to a shorter interval when it is determined Yes in S41.

[Effects of Fifth Embodiment]
According to the fifth embodiment, the same effects as the above-described embodiments can be obtained, and the following effects can also be obtained.
When the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or shorter than the predetermined period, the leap second detection interval is shortened, that is, the reception frequency is increased, so that the number of times leap second information is received increases, so that the probability of obtaining leap second information can be improved. Accordingly, leap second information can be received by the end of the reception period, and even when leap second update processing is performed, the correct time can be reliably displayed.

[Modification]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
For example, in the second embodiment, the timeout time is set only by the battery voltage, but when the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or shorter than a predetermined period, the timeout time may be longer. For example, the reception timing discriminating means 24 sets the timeout time to 3 minutes when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or higher and 1 minute when the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V at the time when the reception period starts, and the remaining time When the period is 30 days or less, it may be set to 5 minutes when the battery voltage is 3.8 V or higher, and 3 minutes when the battery voltage is 3.6 to 3.8 V.
Also in this case, when the remaining period of the reception period is equal to or less than the predetermined period, the timeout time is lengthened, so that the number of leap second information receptions is increased, and the probability that leap second information can be acquired can be improved. Accordingly, leap second information can be received by the end of the reception period, and even when leap second update processing is performed, the correct time can be reliably displayed.

  The acquisition possibility determination means 21 is not limited to the determination based on the power generation amount of the solar panel 70 as in each of the above embodiments. For example, an optical sensor such as a photodiode or a phototransistor may be used as the acquisition possibility determination unit 21. In short, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the GPS wristwatch 1 is disposed outdoors.

In each of the embodiments described above, outdoor determinations in S6 and S11 are performed to eliminate useless reception processing. However, these determination processing may not be performed. That is, according to the present invention, it is sufficient to set the leap second detection interval based on the remaining battery level, and other determination conditions are not necessarily performed.
However, the use of the outdoor determination in S6 and S11 has the advantage that unnecessary reception can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced.

Furthermore, the configuration limited in each of the above embodiments may be applied to other embodiments. For example, the timeout determination process of the second embodiment may be applied to the third to fifth embodiments.
Further, a change in the light amount threshold according to the remaining period, a change in leap second detection interval, and a change in timeout time may be combined. For example, when the remaining period is 30 days or less, the light intensity threshold is changed to a lower value, and when the remaining period is 20 days or less, the leap second detection interval is changed (higher reception frequency), and when the remaining period is 10 days or less, a timeout occurs. A plurality of condition changes may be executed in combination, such as changing the time longer.

  The electronic timepiece of the present invention is not limited to an analog timepiece having hands, but may be applied to a combination timepiece having hands and a display, or a digital timepiece having only a display. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to wristwatches, and is applied to various clocks such as table clocks and pocket watches, various information terminals having clock functions such as mobile phones, digital cameras, PNDs (personal navigation devices), car navigation systems, and the like. May be.

The power generation device is not limited to the solar panel 70, and may be a device that operates a generator with a rotating weight. However, the solar panel 70 has an advantage that it can be used for indoor / outdoor determination.
Further, the secondary battery 60 may be charged with electric power from an external power source, for example, an outlet, without providing the GPS wristwatch 1 with a power generation device.
Further, the power source is not limited to a rechargeable secondary battery, and may be a primary battery.

  Moreover, although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the GPS satellite as an example of a position information satellite, not only a GPS satellite but a Galileo (EU), GLONASS (Russia), Hokuto (China) as a position information satellite of this invention. Other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), etc., or position information satellites that transmit satellite signals including time information such as geostationary satellites such as SBAS and quasi-zenith satellites may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... GPS wristwatch, 10 ... GPS device, 10A ... Satellite signal receiving part, 11 ... GPS antenna, 20 ... Control part, 21 ... Acquisition availability judging means, 22 ... Acquisition time judging means, 23 ... Reception operation judging means, 24 ... Reception timing discriminating means 25... Time information correction unit 30. Storage device 31. RAM 311. Time information storage unit 312 Leap second information storage unit 40 Input device 50 Display device 51 Time Display drive unit, 52 ... Time display unit, 60 ... Secondary battery, 70 ... Solar panel.

Claims (6)

Receiving means for receiving satellite signals;
A battery for supplying power ;
Remaining battery level measuring means for measuring the battery remaining amount is a remaining amount of the previous SL cells,
A light amount detecting means for detecting a light amount irradiated to the electronic timepiece;
An acquisition possibility determination unit that determines whether the light amount detected by the light amount detection unit is equal to or greater than a light amount threshold;
When the remaining battery level measured by the remaining battery level measuring unit is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the light amount threshold is set to a first light level threshold, and the remaining battery level measured by the remaining battery level measuring unit is If lower than the predetermined value, the light intensity threshold is set to a second light intensity threshold higher than the first light intensity threshold,
The electronic timepiece is characterized in that the reception means operates when the acquisition possibility determination means determines that the light intensity threshold is equal to or greater than the light amount threshold . The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 ,
Equipped with a power generator,
The battery is a secondary battery that stores electric power generated by the power generation device,
The electronic timepiece characterized in that the battery remaining amount measuring means measures a remaining amount of the secondary battery. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2,
  As the light amount detecting means, a solar panel for detecting the light amount by the amount of power generation is provided.
  The acquisition possibility determination unit determines whether the power generation amount detected by the solar panel is greater than or equal to the light amount threshold value.
  An electronic timepiece characterized by that. The electronic timepiece according to claim 3,
  The solar panel also serves as the power generation device and the light amount detection means
  An electronic timepiece characterized by that. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1 or 2,
  A light sensor is provided as the light amount detecting means.
  An electronic timepiece characterized by that. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2,
  The power generation device includes a rotating weight and a generator operated by the rotating weight.
  An electronic timepiece characterized by that.

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