JP6884057B2 - Radio clock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a radio clock.

Patent Document 1 discloses a radio-controlled clock that corrects an internal time based on a weekly time TOW (Time Of Week) included in a satellite signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The weekly time TOW indicates the seconds elapsed from midnight on the latest Sunday. In addition, the satellite signal contains information about the future leap second (LS), and that information is updated irregularly. The leap second adjusts the deviation between the time output by the atomic clock of the GPS satellite and UTC (Universal Time, Coordinated).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-208948

In Patent Document 1, the environmental information regarding the reception environment in which the radio-controlled clock is placed is acquired, and the information included in the satellite signal is received based on the environmental information. Here, the weekly time TOW is included in each subframe of the satellite signal. Since the subframe of 1 is 6 seconds, the weekly time TOW is transmitted once every 6 seconds. Therefore, the radio-controlled clock can acquire the weekly time TOW by performing the reception operation for at least 6 seconds. On the other hand, information on future leap seconds (hereinafter, also referred to as LS information) is included only once out of 25 transmissions of subframe 4 of the satellite signal (pages 1 to 25). Specifically, the LS information is included only in the subframe 4 on page 18. Further, in order to correct the internal time correctly based on the LS information, it is necessary to acquire the week number WN (Week Number) included in the subframe 1 on page 18. Therefore, at least about 30 seconds are required for the operation of receiving the LS information. In this way, the reception operation for acquiring the LS information is longer than the reception operation for acquiring the weekly time TOW, and when the reception operation for LS information is started and the reception fails, the weekly time TOW The waste of power consumption becomes larger than when the reception operation is started and the reception fails.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress an increase in power consumption in a radio-controlled timepiece that receives information on a future leap second.

The invention disclosed in the present application in order to solve the above problems has various aspects, and the outline of typical ones of these aspects is as follows.

(1) The receiving means for receiving the satellite signal from the satellite and the receiving means for executing the time information receiving operation for receiving the information regarding the current time included in the satellite signal are controlled so that the satellite signal is used. A radio clock having a control means for controlling the receiving means to execute a leap second information receiving operation for receiving information on a future leap second included, and detecting information on the reception environment of the radio clock. The leap second information reception based on the information on the reception environment and the time reception determination means for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied based on the information on the reception environment. The number of detections of information related to the reception environment satisfying the first condition, which is the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation, has a leap second reception determination means for determining whether or not the operation execution condition is satisfied. A radio clock having more times than the number of detections of information about the reception environment satisfying the second condition, which is an execution condition of the time information reception operation.

(2) In (1), after the leap second information receiving operation is started, the leap second receiving determination means further executes a determination as to whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation is satisfied, and further executes the determination. When the leap second reception determination means determines that the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is not satisfied during the execution of the leap second information reception operation, the control means stops the leap second information reception operation. ..

(3) In (1) or (2), when the number of remaining days until the date when the information on the future leap second can be received is less than a predetermined number of days, the leap second reception determination means receives the leap second information. A radio-controlled clock that frequently starts determining whether or not the operation execution conditions are satisfied.

(4) In any of (1) to (3), when the detection value which is the information about the reception environment is equal to or more than the first threshold value, the first condition is satisfied and the detection value which is the information about the reception environment is A radio-controlled timepiece that satisfies the second condition when it is equal to or higher than the second threshold value.

(5) In (4), a radio-controlled clock that sets the first threshold value low when the number of remaining days until the deadline for receiving information on the future leap second is less than or equal to a predetermined number of days.

(6) In (4) or (5), when the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the first threshold value is set high. Radio clock to leap second.

(7) In any of (4) to (6), when the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the leap second information A radio-controlled clock that increases the number of detections of the detected value equal to or higher than the first threshold value, which is an execution condition of the reception operation.

(8) In any of (4) to (7), when the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the leap second information A radio-controlled clock that shortens the detection interval of the detection value equal to or higher than the first threshold value, which is an execution condition of the reception operation.

(9) In any of (1) to (8), the time reception determination means determines the frequency at which the leap second reception determination means starts determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation condition is satisfied. A radio-controlled clock having a frequency higher than the frequency of starting determination of whether or not the execution condition of the time information receiving operation is satisfied.

(10) In any of (1) to (9), the light receiving means for receiving external light around the radio-controlled clock is provided, and the detecting means receives the amount of light received by the light receiving means as information regarding the receiving environment. Radio clock to detect.

According to the aspects (1), (2), (4), (6) to (8), and (10) of the present invention, it is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption.

Further, according to the aspects (3), (5), and (9) of the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of acquiring information regarding the future leap second.

It is a top view which shows the radio clock which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure and system structure of the radio clock which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of one subframe in the satellite signal transmitted by the GPS satellite. It is a figure explaining the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation in this embodiment is satisfied. It is a figure explaining the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in this embodiment is satisfied. It is a figure explaining the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in this embodiment is satisfied. It is a flowchart of the reception environment check in this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in the 1st modification of this embodiment is satisfied. It is a figure explaining the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in the 2nd modification of this embodiment is satisfied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a radio clock according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a body 1 which is the exterior (clock case) of the radio-controlled watch 100, a dial 2 arranged in the body 1, and an hour hand 3, a minute hand 4, and a second hand 5 which are pointers indicating the time. Further, a crown 6 and a button 7 for the user to perform various operations are arranged on the side surface of the body 1 on the 3 o'clock side. A band fixing portion 8 for fixing the band extends from the side surfaces of the body 1 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side.

The design of the radio-controlled clock 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example. In addition to the ones shown here, for example, the body 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 pointers are three, the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, and the second hand 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the second hand 5 may be omitted, or the day of the week, the presence or absence of time zone or daylight saving time, and radio waves. You may add a guideline for displaying the reception status of the radio wave, the remaining battery level, various displays, a date display, and the like.

In the present embodiment, the radio-controlled clock 100 is a wristwatch having a function of receiving a satellite signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite and correcting the internal time based on the date and time information included in the satellite signal. Will be explained using. However, the present invention is not limited to a wristwatch, and may be another wearable terminal having a watch function. The internal time is time information (including the current time and date) held by the clock circuit inside the radio-controlled clock 100.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. A windshield 9 is attached to the body 1 so as to cover the dial 2 of the radio-controlled watch 100, and a back cover 10 is attached to the body 1 on the opposite side of the windshield 9. The material of the windshield 9 is a transparent material such as glass, which is non-magnetic and non-conductive. The material of the body 1 and the back cover 10 is not particularly limited, but is metal in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the direction in which the windshield 9 of the radio-controlled watch 100 is arranged (upward in FIG. 2) is referred to as the windshield side, and the direction in which the back cover 10 is arranged (downward in FIG. 2) is referred to as the back cover side. ..

A solar cell (photovoltaic panel) 11 is arranged on the back cover side of the dial 2, and power is generated by the light received from the windshield side. Therefore, the dial 2 is preferably made of a material that transmits light rays 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 such as a patch antenna 14 and a gear mechanism 25 for driving a pointer. The patch antenna 14 is provided with a power feeding pin 14b so as to penetrate the thickness direction thereof, and the surface on the windshield side is a receiving surface 14a for receiving radio waves from the satellite.

A circuit board 24 is arranged on the back cover side of the base member 12, and a battery 26 is arranged on the back cover side thereof. In the present embodiment, the battery 26 is a rechargeable secondary battery, and a button-type lithium ion secondary battery is used. Then, the electric power generated by the solar cell 11 is stored. A motor 23, which is a drive source for 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, as the secondary battery, a battery other than the lithium ion secondary battery, for example, a lithium ion capacitor or a nickel hydrogen storage battery may be used.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the receiving surface 14a of the patch antenna 14 is provided parallel to the light receiving surface of the solar cell 11, and both 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 circumference thereof is cut into a rectangular shape. A patch antenna 14 is arranged in this portion. Therefore, both the receiving surface 14a of the patch antenna 14 and the light receiving surface of the solar cell 11 directly face 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 radio-controlled clock 100. When strong light hits the dial 2, it is highly possible that the patch antenna 14 is facing the satellite, such as outdoors during the daytime or near a window, and the environment is suitable for receiving satellite signals.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration and a system configuration of the radio-controlled clock according to the present embodiment. The circuit elements shown in FIG. 3 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 about the time, specifically information indicating the time and date, is extracted by the decoder circuit 53 and received by the control unit 47. Passed. The receiving circuit (reception unit) 31 is configured by the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. The control unit 47 is a microcomputer incorporating a driver for the motor 23, volatile and non-volatile memory, a clock circuit, various AD converters, and the like, and various controls are executed according to a program stored in the non-volatile memory. Here, the date and time correction information is stored in the volatile memory built in the control unit 47. The date and time correction information is extracted from the satellite signal, and includes information on the weekly time TOW, information on the current leap second, and information on the future leap second, which will be described later.

Further, the solar cell 11 is connected to the battery 26 via a switch 29, and in a state where the switch 29 conducts the solar cell 11 and the battery 26 according to an instruction from the control unit 47, the solar cell 11 generates electric power. The generated 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 control unit 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 conducts the solar cell 11 and the power generation amount detection unit 30 according to an instruction from the control unit 47, the solar cell 11 is connected to the power generation amount detection unit 30. The current generated by the solar cell 11 flows through 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 control unit 47.

The switch 56 is a switch for switching on / off of power supply to the receiving circuit 31, that is, the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53, and is controlled by the control unit 47. Since the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53 that operate at high frequencies consume a large amount of power, the control unit 47 turns on the switch 56 only when receiving the satellite signal to turn on the receiving circuit 31, that is, the high frequency circuit 46 and the decoder circuit 53. It is operated, and at other times, the switch 56 is turned off to reduce power consumption.

Here, a satellite signal (navigation data) transmitted by a GPS satellite used for adjusting the date and time of the radio-controlled clock 100 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of one subframe in a satellite signal transmitted by a GPS satellite.

GPS satellites repeatedly transmit satellite signals with a total of 25 frames (pages) as one set. Each frame contains a signal for 30 seconds, and the GPS satellite transmits a signal of all 25 frames in a cycle of 12.5 minutes. Further, each frame is composed of five subframe SFs. Since one frame is 30 seconds, one subframe SF corresponds to a signal for 6 seconds. The subframe SF of 1 contains information for 300 bits in total. Further, since 1 subframe SF is composed of 10 words and 1 subframe is 6 seconds, 1 word corresponds to a signal for 0.6 seconds.

The first word of each subframe SF is called a TLM (TeLeMetry word), and the TLM includes a code indicating the beginning of each subframe SF and information of the ground control station. The head portion of the TLM (that is, the head portion of the entire subframe SF) includes a preamble indicating the start position of the subframe SF.

The second word of each subframe SF is called HOW (HandOver Word), and the beginning of HOW is related to the GPS time starting from the beginning of the week (Sunday 0:00 am), that is, the current time. Information such as the weekly time TOW (Time Of Week) is included. The information following the HOW is different for each subframe SF, and the subframe SF1 includes the week number WN (Week Number) following the HOW. The week number WN is information indicating the number of the week to which the time represented by the weekly time TOW belongs, and is counted up once a week at 0:00 am on Sunday.

The subframes SF2 and SF3 include the orbital information of each GPS satellite called Ephemeris following the HOW, and the subframes SF4 and SF5 include the approximate orbits of all GPS satellites called the ephemeris following the HOW. Information is included, but a detailed description of it will be omitted.

Further, the explanation will be continued by returning to FIG. The radio clock 100 receives satellite signals from one or more GPS satellites. Then, the control unit 47 stores the weekly time TOW information extracted from the received satellite signal in the built-in volatile memory, and corrects the internal time based on the stored weekly time TOW information. , Drive the motor 23 based on the internal time. The rotational power generated by the motor 23 is transmitted to the pointers (hour hand 3, minute hand 4 and second hand 5) via the train wheel, and the time is displayed.

In addition, as information for correcting the internal time, there is information on the current leap second. The leap second adjusts the deviation between the time output by the atomic clock of the GPS satellite and UTC (Universal Time, Coordinated). The control unit 47 stores information on the current leap second extracted from the satellite signal in advance in the built-in volatile memory, and corrects the internal time based on the stored information on the current leap second.

Further, as information for correcting the internal time, there is information on future leap seconds (hereinafter, also referred to as LS information). The LS information is information including information on the scheduled leap second update date and time when the next leap second correction is performed, information on the correction amount in the next leap second correction, and the like. The control unit 47 stores the LS information extracted from the satellite signal in the built-in volatile memory, and corrects the internal time to the leap second update scheduled date and time based on the stored LS information. That is, the control unit 47 sets the internal time to the scheduled leap second update date and time based on the information on the future leap second acquired by the scheduled leap second update date and time in addition to the information on the weekly time TOW and the current leap second. Fix it. The leap second update date is, for example, the end of June or the end of December. Further, the LS information is updated irregularly, and is included in the satellite signal transmitted from the GPS satellite only for one month before the scheduled leap second update date, for example.

Next, a reception environment check for determining whether or not to execute a satellite signal reception operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5 and 7. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied. 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied. FIG. 6 shows an example when it is determined that the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation is satisfied, and FIG. 7 shows an example when it is determined that the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation is not satisfied. .. Here, the reception operation means an operation in which the control unit 47 controls the reception circuit 31 and the like so as to receive the satellite signal transmitted from the GPS satellite.

When the radio-controlled clock 100 is indoors or in an environment unsuitable for receiving satellite signals, there is a high possibility that the satellite signals cannot be received even if the reception operation is executed. In such an environment, executing the reception operation consumes unnecessary power. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the reception environment check for determining whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for the reception environment is performed, and it is determined that the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for the reception environment. If this is the case, the reception operation is executed, and if it is determined that the environment is not suitable for the reception environment, the reception operation is not executed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 47 includes a time reception determination unit 47a. The time reception determination unit 47a determines whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation for acquiring the information regarding the current time (time within the week TOW) is satisfied based on the detection result of the power generation amount detection unit 30. .. Specifically, the time reception determination unit 47a determines whether or not the detection value (power generation amount) detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30 satisfies the second condition. Here, when the detected value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (second threshold value), the second condition is satisfied. If the detected value detected by the power generation amount detecting unit 30 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, it can be said that there is a high possibility that the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for reception such as outdoors or near a window. Here, in FIG. 5, the timing at which the determination (reception environment check) by the time reception determination unit 47a is performed is indicated by an arrow. Further, the case where the detected value detected by the power generation amount detecting unit 30 is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value is indicated by “OK”, and the case where the detected value is less than the predetermined threshold value is indicated by “NG”. When the detected value detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (in the case of “OK” determination), the control unit 47 switches the switch 56 shown in FIG. 3 to the ON state. Then, the receiving circuit 31 is activated to receive the satellite signal. That is, the time information receiving operation is executed.

Here, as described above, the weekly time TOW is included in all subframe SFs. Therefore, regardless of when the time information reception operation is started, the weekly time TOW can be acquired by continuing the reception operation for at least 6 seconds.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which the time information receiving operation is not executed when the “NG” determination is made, and when the “OK” determination is made once, the time information receiving operation is continuously executed for 6 seconds thereafter. ing. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the weekly time TOW included in the subframe SF3 is acquired. The subframe SF including the weekly time TOW to be acquired is arbitrary. That is, the time information receiving operation may be performed at the timing of acquiring the weekly time TOW included in any of the subframes SF1 to SF5. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, if "OK" is determined in the reception environment check performed at the timing of the head portion of the subframe SF1, the weekly time TOW included in the subframe SF2 can be acquired. It is advisable to perform the time information receiving operation at the timing. Further, FIG. 5 shows an example in which a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied is performed at 10-second intervals, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the time information reception operation is not limited to this. Can be long or short. For example, when the detection interval of the reception environment check is set to an interval of 10 seconds, the drive timing of the minute hand 4 may also be one step every 10 seconds. By matching the detection interval of the reception environment check and the interval of driving the pointer in this way, the start timing of the control unit 47 (microcomputer) can be made the same. As a result, the frequency of activating the control unit 47 can be reduced, and the power consumption can be reduced.

The reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied may be started, for example, when the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100 reaches a predetermined time. Further, it may be performed based on the elapsed time and the number of elapsed days since the previous time information receiving operation was executed. Further, when the time information receiving operation is performed and the acquisition of the weekly time TOW fails, the time information reception operation may be performed based on the number of days elapsed from the failed date. Further, it may be performed when a request is made from the user by an input means such as a crown 6 or a button 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 47 further includes a leap second reception determination unit 47b. The leap second reception determination unit 47b determines whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation for acquiring the LS information is satisfied based on the detection result of the power generation amount detection unit 30. As will be described later, whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is determined by determining whether or not the detection value (power generation amount) detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30 satisfies the first condition a plurality of times. Leap second. Here, when the detected value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value (first threshold value), the first condition is satisfied.

Here, the LS information is included only once out of 25 transmissions of the satellite signal subframe SF4 (pages 1 to 25). Specifically, the LS information is included only in the subframe SF4 on page 18. Since each of the subframes SF1 to SF5 is transmitted over 6 seconds, the LS information is transmitted once every 12.5 minutes. The LS information is included after 4 to 5 seconds have elapsed from the TLM of the subframe SF4. In the radio clock 100, the deviation between the time output by the atomic clock of the GPS satellite and UTC (Universal Time, Coordinated) is adjusted by acquiring the LS information from the GPS satellite and combining it with the information of the week number WN. Can be done. That is, in order to correct the leap second correctly based on the LS information, it is necessary to acquire the week number WN included in the subframe SF1 on page 18. That is, it is necessary to receive at least the subframe SF1 on page 18 and the subframe SF4 on page 18. Further, in order to acquire the LS information transmitted only once every 12.5 minutes with a higher probability, it is preferable to start the reception operation with a certain margin. Further, since there is an error in the internal time, it is preferable to start the reception operation with a certain margin. In FIG. 6, after performing a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied, the leap second information reception operation is started from the beginning of the subframe SF4 on page 17, and the page is displayed. An example in which the leap second information receiving operation is continuously performed until the end of the subframe SF5 of 18 is shown.

Since the execution time of the leap second information receiving operation (36 seconds in the present embodiment (see FIG. 6)) is longer than the execution time of the time information receiving operation (6 seconds in the present embodiment (see FIG. 5)). , Power consumption is high. Therefore, when the leap second information reception operation is started and reception fails, power consumption is wasted more than when the time information reception operation is started and reception fails.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is set to be stricter than the execution condition of the time information reception operation. Specifically, the number of detections of the detection value equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value (first threshold value) which is the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is set to be equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value (second threshold value) which is the execution condition of the time information reception operation. It was more than the number of detections of the detected value of. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the execution condition of the time information receiving operation is that a detection value equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value is detected once, whereas as shown in FIG. 6, leap seconds. The execution condition of the information receiving operation is that the detection value equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value is detected twice.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the “OK” determination is made twice and then the execution of the leap second information receiving operation is started before the subframe SF1 on page 18. That is, an example will be described in which the leap second determination means 47b determines that the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for the reception environment.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which the “OK” determination is made once, then the “NG” determination is made, and the leap second information reception operation is not executed. That is, an example will be described in which the leap second determination means 47b determines that the radio-controlled clock 100 is not in an environment suitable for the reception environment.

As described above, since the weekly time TOW is included in all subframe SFs, when the leap second information reception operation is executed as shown in FIG. 6, the weekly time TOW is also included. Can be obtained.

Since the LS information is transmitted only once every 12.5 minutes, the preferable timing for starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is once every 6 seconds. It is more limited than the preferred timing to start the reception environment check to obtain the transmitted weekly time TOW. The timing for starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied may be determined based on the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100. From the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100, it is possible to predict when a satellite signal containing LS information will be transmitted, and to calculate back from that to determine whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied. It is good to start the reception environment check of. Specifically, the timing for starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is preferably near the head portion of the subframe SF1 on page 17.

It should be noted that the threshold value (first threshold value) of the detection value to be judged as "OK" in the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied and the execution condition of the time information reception operation are satisfied. It may be the same as or different from the threshold value (second threshold value) of the detection value to be determined as "OK" in the reception environment check for determining whether or not. As a matter of course, when the threshold value is set high, the execution condition of the reception operation becomes strict, and when the threshold value is set low, the execution condition of the reception operation becomes loose. By raising the threshold value, it is possible to suppress unnecessary reception operation and increase power consumption, while by lowering the threshold value, it is possible to increase the frequency of starting reception operation and acquire necessary information. It can enhance the sex.

Further, for example, when the number of remaining days until the deadline for receiving LS information (scheduled leap second update date) is less than a predetermined number of days, the threshold value, which is the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation, is set low and the leap second is used. It is advisable to loosen the execution conditions for the information reception operation. By loosening the execution conditions of the leap second information reception operation, there is a risk of consuming power by performing the leap second information reception operation unnecessarily, but the period during which LS information can be acquired is limited. This is because it is necessary to surely acquire it within the period. If the LS information cannot be acquired during the period during which the LS information can be acquired, the user manually adjusts the time of the radio-controlled clock 100 in order to display the accurate time of the future leap second correction on the radio-controlled clock 100. There will be a need to do so.

Further, if the acquisition of the LS information fails even though the leap second information receiving operation is executed, the execution condition of the next leap second information receiving operation may be strict. Specifically, it is advisable to raise the threshold value for determining "OK" or increase the number of reception environment checks. As a result, it is possible to prevent the acquisition of the LS information from failing again even though the leap second information receiving operation is executed.

Further, since the period during which LS information can be received is limited, the frequency of starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is the execution condition of the time information reception operation. It is preferable that the frequency is higher than the frequency of starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not the condition is satisfied. Specifically, for example, the reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is started once every three days, and whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied is determined. The reception environment check for determination should be started once every 6 days.

Further, an example of the reception environment check operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the reception environment check in the present embodiment.

First, the control unit 47 determines whether or not it is the reception environment check period of the leap second information reception operation based on the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100 (step S1). The reception environment check period of the leap second information reception operation is, for example, a period near the head portion of the subframe SF1 on page 17 of the satellite signal as described above. Further, whether or not it is the reception environment check period of the leap second information reception operation may be divided by, for example, a date or a time zone. When the control unit 47 determines that it is the reception environment check period of the leap second information reception operation (YES in step S1), the control unit 47 determines whether or not the information (LS information) regarding the future leap second has been acquired (step S2). ). This is because if the LS information can be acquired once, it is not necessary to acquire it until the next scheduled leap second update date. When it is determined that the LS information has not been acquired yet, the control unit 47 performs a reception environment check for determining whether or not to execute the leap second information reception operation (step S3). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the amount of power generation detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Further, after a certain amount of time has passed from the first reception environment check, specifically, after 10 seconds have elapsed (YES in step S4), the second reception environment check is performed (step S5). Then, the leap second reception determination unit 47b of the control unit 47 determines whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment capable of receiving satellite signals based on the results of the two reception environment checks (step S6). When the leap second reception determination unit 47b determines that the satellite signal can be received (YES in step S6), the control unit 47 executes the leap second information reception operation (step S7), and the leap second reception determination unit 47b If it is determined that the environment is not capable of receiving satellite signals (NO in step S6), the control unit 47 does not execute the leap second information receiving operation.

On the other hand, when the control unit 47 determines that it is not the reception environment check period of the leap second information reception operation based on the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100 (NO in step S1), or the leap based on the internal time of the radio-controlled clock 100. Although it is the reception environment check period of the second information reception operation (YES in step S1), if it is determined that the LS information has been acquired (YES in step S2), it is the reception environment check period of the time information reception operation. (Step S8). When the control unit 47 determines that it is the reception environment check period of the time information reception operation (YES in step S8), the control unit 47 performs a reception environment check for determining whether or not to execute the time information reception operation (step S9). ). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the amount of power generation detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Then, the time reception determination unit 47a of the control unit 47 determines whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment capable of receiving the satellite signal based on the result of one reception environment check (step S10). When the time reception determination unit 47a determines that the environment is capable of receiving the satellite signal (YES in step S10), the control unit 47 executes the time information reception operation (step S11). When the time reception determination unit 47a determines that the environment is not capable of receiving the satellite signal (NO in step S10), the control unit 47 further repeats the operations of steps S8 to S10. For example, the operations of steps S8 to S10 may be repeated so that the reception environment check in step S9 is performed at 10-second intervals. Then, when the control unit 47 executes the time information reception operation or determines that it is not the reception environment check period of the time information reception operation (NO in step S8), the operation for performing the reception environment check ends. .. Whether or not it is the reception environment check period of the time information reception operation may be divided by, for example, a date or a time zone. Further, if it is not determined that the environment is capable of receiving the satellite signal even after repeating the reception environment check in step S9 a predetermined number of times, the reception environment check period of the time information reception operation may be terminated.

Next, a first modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in the first modification of the present embodiment is satisfied.

In the above embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6 and the like, the case where the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation is determined to be “OK” twice has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. It suffices to be stricter than the execution condition of the time information receiving operation at least. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the number of “OK” determinations for the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is three. Although not shown, in the first modification, the execution condition of the time information receiving operation may be that the number of “OK” determinations is once or twice. The timing for starting the reception environment check for determining whether or not to perform the leap second information reception operation is preferably near the head portion of the subframe SF1 on page 17, as in the example shown in FIG.

Further, the detection interval of whether or not the detection value is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value by the leap second information reception determination unit 47b is not limited to 10 seconds, and may be longer or shorter than the 10-second interval. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the detection interval is 5 seconds. By shortening the detection interval, the number of reception environment checks can be increased without lengthening the time required for the reception environment check, and whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for receiving satellite signals can be further determined. It is possible to make a judgment with high accuracy. The detection interval by the leap second information reception determination unit 47b and the detection interval by the time information reception determination unit 47a may be different. By making the detection interval by the leap second information reception determination unit 47b longer than the detection interval by the time information reception determination unit 47a, the environment is checked for a long period of time, and the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is set to time information. It can be stricter than the execution condition of the reception operation. Further, the detection interval by the leap second information reception determination unit 47b may be shorter than the detection interval by the time information reception determination unit 47a. However, even in this case, it is preferable that the number of "OK" determinations, which is the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation, is larger than the number of "OK" determinations, which is the execution condition of the time information reception operation.

It should be noted that the execution condition is not limited to the case where the "OK" judgment is made three times in a row, for example, when the "OK" judgment is made at least twice out of the three detections, the leap second information reception operation is executed. May be relaxed. In that case, even though the leap second information receiving operation is executed, the leap second information cannot be acquired and power may be consumed unnecessarily. On the other hand, the leap second information receiving operation is performed more frequently and acquired. It is possible to increase the possibility of acquiring leap second information with a limited period. Further, the threshold value for determining "OK" does not have to be the same for three detections. For example, by setting the threshold value of the reception environment check performed in the latter half to be higher than the threshold value performed in the first half, it is determined whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for reception when performing the reception operation. It can be done with higher accuracy. Further, the detection intervals of the reception environment checks that are continuously performed at predetermined intervals may be different from each other. For example, the detection interval in the latter half may be shorter than the detection interval in the first half. Specifically, for example, the first and second detection intervals may be 5 seconds, the second and third detection intervals may be 3 seconds, and the third and fourth detection intervals may be 2 seconds. In this way, by setting the detection interval shorter immediately before the reception operation is executed, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for reception when performing the reception operation. it can.

Further, a second modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a reception environment check for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation in the second modification of the present embodiment is satisfied.

In the second modification, even after the leap second information reception operation is started, the leap second information reception determination unit 47b determines whether or not to execute the leap second information reception operation. Then, when the radio-controlled clock 100 is moved to a place unsuitable for the reception environment after the leap second information reception operation is started, the reception operation is stopped halfway. FIG. 10 shows an example in which an “NG” determination is made at the timing when the subframe SF2 on page 18 is transmitted after the leap second information reception operation is started. As a result, even though the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment unsuitable for reception, it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption by performing the leap second information receiving operation having a long operating time. Note that FIG. 10 shows an example in which the leap second information receiving operation is stopped when the “NG” determination is made once after the leap second information receiving operation is started, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the conditions for stopping may be appropriately set, such as stopping when the "NG" determination is made twice in a row after the start of the leap second information receiving operation. Even if the reception operation is stopped in the middle as shown in FIG. 10, since the reception operation is performed from the subframe 4 on page 17 to the subframe 1 on page 18, the reception operation is performed during that period within the week. There is a possibility that the time TOW can be obtained.

In the above embodiment and its modification, an example in which light detection is performed using a solar cell 11 as a light receiving means has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an ultraviolet sensor is used as a light receiving means and the sun is used. The reception environment may be determined by determining the presence or absence of light. Alternatively, an image sensor such as a camera may be used as the light receiving means to perform image analysis to detect the amount of light received and determine the receiving environment.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and its modification, the determination as to whether or not the radio-controlled clock 100 is in an environment suitable for receiving the satellite signal is determined based on the power generation amount (light reception amount) detected by the power generation amount detection unit 30. Although the example to be performed based on the above has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and any information may be used as long as it is possible to determine whether the radio-controlled clock 100 is outdoors or indoors. For example, when the acceleration sensor is used as a detection means and the acceleration sensor outputs information that determines that the user of the radio-controlled clock 100 is running, the radio-controlled clock 100 is outdoors and the radio-controlled clock 100 outputs a satellite signal. It can be determined that the environment is suitable for receiving. Further, for example, when a sound sensor is used as a detection means, the sound sensor acquires the environmental sound around the radio-controlled clock 100, and information for determining that the radio-controlled clock 100 is outdoors is detected, the radio-controlled clock 100 is a satellite. It can be determined that the environment is suitable for receiving the signal.

Although the embodiment according to the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration shown in this embodiment is shown as an example, and it is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to this. Those skilled in the art may appropriately modify these disclosed embodiments, and it should be understood that the technical scope of the invention disclosed herein also includes such modifications.

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, 25 gear mechanism, 26 battery, 29 switch, 30 power generation detection unit, 31 reception circuit, 46 high frequency circuit, 47 control unit, 47a time reception judgment unit, 47b leap second reception judgment Department, 53 decoder circuit, 56 switches, 100 radio clock.

Claims (10)

A receiving means for receiving satellite signals from satellites,
A leap second for controlling the receiving means to execute a time information receiving operation for receiving information on the current time included in the satellite signal and receiving information on a future leap second included in the satellite signal. A control means that controls the receiving means so as to execute an information receiving operation, and
It is a radio clock with
A detection means for detecting information on the reception environment of the radio-controlled clock, and
A time reception determination means for determining whether or not the execution condition of the time information reception operation is satisfied based on the information regarding the reception environment, and
A leap second reception determination means for determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied based on the information regarding the reception environment, and a leap second reception determination means.
Have,
The number of times the information about the receiving environment satisfying the first condition, which is the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation, is detected is the detection of the information about the receiving environment satisfying the second condition, which is the execution condition of the time information receiving operation. More than the number of times,
Radio clock. After the leap second information receiving operation is started, the leap second reception determining means further executes a determination as to whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation is satisfied.
When the leap second reception determination means determines that the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is not satisfied during the execution of the leap second information reception operation.
The radio-controlled timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the control means stops the leap second information receiving operation. When the number of days remaining until the date when the information on the future leap second can be received is less than a predetermined number of days, it is determined whether or not the leap second reception determination means satisfies the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation. The radio-controlled clock according to claim 1 or 2, which increases the frequency of starting. When the detection value, which is the information about the reception environment, is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the first condition is satisfied.
The radio-controlled timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which satisfies the second condition when the detected value, which is information on the reception environment, is equal to or higher than the second threshold value. The radio-controlled clock according to claim 4, wherein the first threshold value is set low when the number of remaining days until the deadline for receiving the information on the future leap second is less than or equal to a predetermined number of days. The radio-controlled clock according to claim 4 or 5, wherein when the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the first threshold value is set high. When the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the detection of the first threshold value or more, which is the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation. The radio-controlled clock according to any one of claims 4 to 6, which increases the number of times a value is detected. When the leap second information receiving operation is executed and the receiving means cannot receive the information related to the leap second, the detection of the first threshold value or more, which is the execution condition of the leap second information receiving operation. The radio-controlled clock according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the value detection interval is shortened. The frequency with which the leap second reception determination means starts determining whether or not the execution condition of the leap second information reception operation is satisfied is determined as to whether or not the time reception determination means satisfies the execution condition of the time information reception operation. The radio-controlled clock according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which is higher than the frequency of starting. It has a light receiving means for receiving external light around the radio clock.
The radio-controlled timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the detection means detects the amount of light received by the light receiving means as information regarding the receiving environment.

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