Electronic timepiece

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic timepiece. The electronic timepiece is provided with: a first substrate having a plurality of first connection terminals, a processor, and a selector for switching the connection between the first connection terminals and the processor; and a second substrate having a plurality of second connection terminals connected to each of a plurality of peripheral devices that perform a certain operation, the second connection terminals being connected to each of the first connection terminals, and the selector switching the first connection terminals connected to the processor according to the control of the processor.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-178120 filed on October 16, 2023, and the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to electronic watches. Background Art

[0003] For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-11394, a technology has been disclosed in which a motor control board and a main control board are shared by switching the operation of a motor in a cleaner and a blower according to the presence or absence of a trigger switch only in the blower. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electronic watch disclosed in the present invention comprises: a first substrate, which has multiple first connection parts, a control part, and a selector for switching the connection between the first connection parts and the control part; and a second substrate, which has multiple second connection parts, and the multiple second connection parts are respectively connected to multiple action parts that perform certain actions, and the second connection parts are respectively connected to the first connection parts, and the selector switches the first connection parts connected to the control part according to the control of the control part.

[0005] According to the present invention, there is an effect that the time and effort required for designing a control substrate of an electronic timepiece can be reduced.

[0006] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 The structure of the electronic timepiece according to this embodiment will be described.

[0008] Figure 2 An example of selection of an input signal by a selector is described below.

[0009] Figure 3 The switching of the selector between the power generation operation and the light emission operation will be described.

[0010] Figure 4 This shows an example in which a plurality of motors are selectively operated.

[0011] Figure 5 This shows an example of switching whether or not to select a motor.

[0012] Figure 6 An example of allocation of functions to the second substrate is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a diagram for explaining the structure of the electronic timepiece 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0015] The electronic timepiece 1 of the present embodiment can display time by, for example, rotating a plurality of hands.

[0016] The electronic watch 1 includes a microcomputer 11 (control unit), a memory 12, a communication module 13, a satellite radio wave reception processing unit 14, an oscillation circuit 15, a selector 16, input and output ports 17 and 21, a motor 22, a light receiving element 23, an operation detection unit 24, a solar cell 25, a push button switch 26, a crown 27, a gear train 28, a pointer 29 and a battery 30.

[0017] The electronic timepiece 1 includes a first substrate 2 and a second substrate 3 in a housing.

[0018] The microcomputer 11, memory 12 (storage unit), communication module 13, satellite wave reception processing unit 14, oscillation circuit 15, selector 16 and input / output port 17 are disposed on the first substrate 2. The communication module 13 and the satellite wave reception processing unit 14 each have an antenna as required.

[0019] The microcomputer 11 has a CPU 111 (Central Processing Unit) and a RAM 112 (Random Access Memory), which uniformly control the overall operation of the electronic watch 1. The CPU 111 is a processor that performs calculations. The CPU 111 may have a structure and performance that is most suitable for the purpose of the electronic watch 1, that is, it may have a structure and performance that is most suitable for use in an electronic watch. The RAM 112 provides the CPU 111 with a memory space for operation and stores temporary data. In addition, the microcomputer has input and output terminals for signals, etc. The input signal may include a signal of a certain frequency emitted by the oscillation circuit 15 or a clock signal based on a signal of a frequency divided from the frequency.

[0020] The memory 12 includes a nonvolatile memory that stores setting data and the like. The nonvolatile memory is, for example, a flash memory. Port settings 121 (selection information) are stored in the memory 12. As described later, the port settings 121 stores information on signal wiring connected to each port of the microcomputer 11. Specifically, the port settings 121 stores which connection pads 17a in the input / output port 17 each port of the microcomputer 11 is connected to through the selector 16, and which structure in the second substrate 3 the connection pads 17a correspond to. In addition, in the case of storing a large amount of data, the electronic watch 1 may also have an additional memory. For example, in the case where the electronic watch 1 has a sensor and stores measurement data of the sensor, etc., the additional memory may also be located on the second substrate 3 in addition to the memory 12.

[0021] The communication module 13 controls communication with external devices, particularly bidirectional communication. Examples of controllable bidirectional communication include Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0022] The satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 14 determines the current date and time and performs positioning based on the radio waves from the positioning satellite of the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 14 includes a receiving unit and an operation processing unit. The receiving unit receives the radio waves from the positioning satellite and performs demodulation and decoding. The operation processing unit performs operation processing related to obtaining the current date and time and determining the current position based on the signal from the positioning satellite obtained by the receiving unit. The operation processing unit may also have a CPU and a RAM independent of the CPU 111 and the RAM 112.

[0023] The communication module 13 and the satellite wave reception processing unit 14 may switch the power supply and the operation independently of the operation of the microcomputer 11 , that is, switch the on and off of the switch.

[0024] The selector 16 switches the signal lines connected to the microcomputer 11 and the like among the signal lines of the second substrate 3 connected to the connection pads 17a via the connection pads 21a based on the control of the microcomputer 11. In addition, not all the signal lines of the first substrate 2 connected to the connection pads 17a need to be connected to the microcomputer 11. Signal lines directly connected to structures other than the microcomputer 11 may be provided.

[0025] The input / output port 17 has a plurality of connection pads 17a (first connection portion). Each connection pad 17a is connected to the selector 16 via wiring on the first substrate 2. Each connection pad 17a can be completely shared. Alternatively, the connection pads 17a can also be divided into a plurality of groups according to the voltage, power, etc. that can be applied. Information related to which structure on the second substrate 3 can be input and output to each connection pad 17a of the input / output port 17 is pre-stored in the port setting 121. When the selection is switched, the current connection state is stored and maintained in the port setting 121.

[0026] The motor 22, the light emitting element ○○ and the light receiving element 23 (light detecting element) are electrically connected to the connection pads or terminals on the second substrate 3. The motor 22, the gear train 28, the pointer 29 and the light emitting element ○○ may not be directly fixed to the second substrate 3, but may be fixed to the second substrate 3 as a component fixed as a whole as a simulated block that gathers peripheral devices separately. The motor 22 includes, for example, a stepping motor. The stepping motor rotates the gear train (gear train mechanism) 28 to rotate the pointer 29 corresponding to the gear train 28. When the first condition that the gear train 28 is at a specific rotational position is satisfied and the second condition that the gear train 28 is at a rotational position different from the first condition is satisfied, the light receiving element 23 is located at a position where the amount of light detected by the light emitting element ○○ corresponding to the light receiving element 23 is different from the amount of light emitted by the light emitting element ○○ of the same intensity. The light emitting element ○○ is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). For example, the gear train 28 can block at least a part of the incident light at a specific rotational position. Alternatively, a plurality of gears in the gear train 28 linked to the pointer 29 may have through holes. In particular, when a plurality of gears partially overlapped in a plan view are in a specific rotational position, the positions of the through holes overlap to allow at least a portion of the incident light to pass through, and the detected light amount changes (increases). Alternatively, a gear in the gear train 28 linked to the pointer 29 may block at least a portion of the incident light, thereby changing the detected light amount. The light receiving element 23 may be located at a position capable of receiving the emitted light from the corresponding light emitting element ○○, or may be located at a position capable of receiving external light incident from the outside of the electronic watch 1. Here, six (multiple) motors 22 and four (multiple) light receiving elements 23 are shown respectively. Accordingly, the electronic watch 1 has six or more (multiple) gear trains 28 and pointers 29. A portion of the plurality of pointers 29 may be rotated in linkage by a single motor 22. There may not be one light receiving element 23 for each pointer 29. For example, three pointers 29 may be detected in common at three locations, for example, every 120 degrees. In this case, which gear train 28 is detected at a specific rotational position can be determined not only by one detection but also by the interval between multiple detections. In addition, when a gear is used to detect the rotational position of the gear train 28, it can be configured to detect a state where multiple gears are all in a specific position. As described above, the needle position detection mechanism is configured, that is, the mechanism for the gear train 28 to detect a specific rotational position is configured. In addition, the structure of the electronic watch 1 is not limited to this. The light receiving element 23 is, for example, a phototransistor. Alternatively, the light receiving element 23 may also be a photodiode or the like.

[0027] A button switch 26 and a crown 27 that penetrate the housing are provided corresponding to the operation detection portion 24 on the second substrate 3. Here, three button switches 26 are shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The button switch 26 may have a shaft, a leaf spring pressed by the shaft, etc. The operation detection portion 24 may be an electrode that the leaf spring contacts when the shaft presses.

[0028] The solar cell 25 includes, for example, a solar cell panel, which is located near the edge of the shell and exposed to the outside, and receives external light to generate electricity. In the case where the shell is roughly cylindrical, the solar cell 25 can be a plurality of arc-shaped solar cells arranged in a roughly circular ring shape to be connected in series. Therefore, electricity is usually generated with the incidence of external light, and the output voltage is the sum of the electromotive forces of each solar cell panel. A current corresponding to the difference between the output voltage and the charging voltage of the battery 30 is output from the solar cell 25.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the solar panel of the solar cell 25 has a plate-like structure in which a diode is sandwiched by electrodes on both sides, and the diode has a layer containing a compound semiconductor material such as InGaP as a power generation layer. When a voltage (forward voltage) is applied to the diode structure of the solar panel, the solar panel emits light as an LED and functions as a lighting device of the electronic watch 1. In a diode containing InGaP, red light with a central wavelength of 664.5nm is emitted when light is emitted. Alternatively, in the case where AlInGaP is included in the diode as a compound semiconductor material, the wavelength becomes shorter than the above, thereby becoming an orange color. In addition, in the solar panel of the solar cell 25, any compound semiconductor material that can obtain appropriate power generation efficiency when generating electricity and can emit light at a desired wavelength as an LED can also be used.

[0030] That is, the solar cell 25 is used as the second device for both power generation and light emission (multiple operations). Power generation is performed when external light with a required intensity or above is incident, and light emission is performed when external light is insufficient, so the periods of these operations do not generally overlap.

[0031] The input / output port 21 has a plurality of connection pads 21a (second connection portion). The connection pads 21a have connection pads or terminals respectively connected to the above-mentioned motor 22, light receiving element 23, light emitting element ○○ and solar cell 25, and connection pads 21a greater than the total number of the operation detection unit 24. These input / output ports 21 can be respectively allocated with a plurality of connection pads 21a corresponding to the applied voltage, maximum power, etc. In addition, dedicated connection pads 21a for specific purposes, such as power supply purposes, etc., can also be predetermined. Each connection pad 21a of the input / output port 21 is connected to each connection pad 17a of the input / output port 17 directly or via an interconnector, etc. Therefore, the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 3 can be stacked. Depending on the number of structures, the complexity of wiring, etc., the first substrate 2 can also be a stacked substrate, but is not limited thereto. By setting the second substrate 3 as a thin double-sided substrate, the thickness of the electronic watch 1 is reduced, but is not limited thereto.

[0032] The battery 30 supplies power to the microcomputer 11 and various parts. The battery 30 is a secondary battery and can be charged by the power generation of the solar cell 25. Both electrodes of the battery 30 are connected to the connection pads of the first substrate 2. The battery 30 can be fixed to the first substrate 2 or can be detachable from the first substrate 2.

[0033] In this way, there are structures that do not correspond to analog actions such as pointer display or operation, are not exposed to the outside, and do not need to be in a specific position on the first substrate 2. In particular, the number and size of the structures on the first substrate 2 do not change depending on the model, etc. In addition, the first substrate 2 can also be located in the housing at an arbitrary rotation angle determined according to the model, etc. of the electronic watch 1.

[0034] On the other hand, on the second substrate 3, there are mainly structures that are exposed to the outside corresponding to analog actions such as pointer display or operation, or structures whose positions are determined according to the positions of the structures exposed to the outside. In addition to or as an alternative, there are structures that vary in number or size according to the model and operate separately, such as a needle position detection mechanism. That is, the connection terminals / pads of peripheral devices (operating parts) that operate by connecting signals to the microcomputer 11, etc., which vary in number or position according to the model, are gathered on the second substrate 3. As a result, the first substrate 2 can be shared by multiple models using the same microcomputer 11, etc.

[0035] Next, the input / output ports 17 and 21 and the selector 16 will be described.

[0036] As described above, the number of signals input and output via the input / output port 21 can vary depending on the number of motors 22, light receiving elements 23, operation detection units 24, etc. connected to the second substrate 3. However, the maximum number of each of these structures to be connected is roughly determined according to a specific application, in this case, the application as an electronic watch and the performance of the microcomputer 11.

[0037] The I / O ports 17 have a maximum number of connection ports corresponding to the above signal types, etc. When the number of signal lines connected to the I / O ports 21 is less than the maximum number, the remaining connection ports of the I / O ports 17 may be floated or grounded.

[0038] The selector 16 can selectively connect another part of the plurality of wires connected to the input / output port 17 to the microcomputer 11 .

[0039] Figure 2 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of selection of an input signal of the selector 16. Figure 2 In the following drawings, circuits and electrical components other than wiring required to explain the flow of signals are omitted.

[0040] Four light receiving elements 23a to 23d as the first device of this embodiment are located on the second substrate 3. Among these light receiving elements 23a to 23d, the light detection signals of the light receiving elements 23c and 23d are selectively input to the microcomputer 11 by the control signal of the microcomputer 11 in the selector 16. In addition, when these light detection signals are analog signals, they are converted into digital signals by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and then input to the microcomputer 11. Alternatively, the ADC may be located on the microcomputer 11, and the signal wiring related to the light detection signal may be connected to the input terminal of the microcomputer 11 that is connected to the ADC.

[0041] For example, the light receiving element 23d can be located at a position where external light is incident without being blocked by the gear train 28 or the like. The microcomputer 11 can obtain a threshold value based on the light intensity of the light receiving element 23d when the external light incident from the display surface side of the electronic watch 1 is not blocked. The threshold value can be set to be a certain percentage lower than the light intensity of the light receiving element 23d. In addition, the threshold value can also be increased or decreased according to the detection conditions of each pointer position in the future. During the period when the pointer 29 corresponding to the light receiving element 23c is not rotating or the position detection of the gear train 28 is not performed, the selector 16 is switched to obtain the intensity of external light through the light receiving element 23d. When the intensity of light detected by the light receiving elements 23a~23c is higher than the obtained threshold value, it is determined that the corresponding pointers are the detection positions of the light receiving elements 23a~23c.

[0042] In addition, the signal wiring related to the light receiving elements 23a and 23b can also be set to be switchable with the light receiving elements that can be added. When the number of light receiving elements is less than the maximum number that can be expanded and selection is not required, the light receiving elements 23a and 23b can be connected to the side that operates in the initial state.

[0043] Furthermore, the selector 16 also switches the wiring in accordance with the switching between the power generation operation and the light emission operation in the solar cell 25 described above.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining switching between the power generation operation and the light emission operation of the selector 16 .

[0045] In this Figure 3 In the embodiment, the light emitting drive circuit 32 is located on the second substrate 3. The light emitting drive circuit 32 has a circuit that receives power supply from the battery 30 and applies a voltage required for light emission to the solar cell panel of the solar cell 25 when the solar cell 25 is operated to emit light.

[0046] The selector 16 receives a control signal from the microcomputer 11 and switches to selectively perform one of the power generation operation and the light emission operation. Specifically, the selector 16 switches between supplying the supply voltage of the light emission drive circuit 32 to one end of the solar cell 25, i.e., the first end, or grounding the first end. When the first end is grounded, the power generation voltage output from the second end opposite to the first end is input to the microcomputer 11. When the power generation voltage is higher than the output voltage of the battery 30, the microcomputer 11 applies the power generation voltage to the battery 30 as a charging voltage. Thus, the battery 30 is charged. On the other hand, when the first end is connected to the supply voltage from the light emission drive circuit 32, the second end is grounded via the light emission drive circuit 32. Thus, a forward voltage is applied to the solar cell 25, and the solar cell panel emits light.

[0047] In addition, the solar cell 25 can be made to switch the light intensity, for example, the microcomputer 11 can gradually change the light amount when the solar cell panel is turned on and off. Alternatively, the solar cell 25 can be made to emit light with a light amount corresponding to the intensity of the external light detected by the above-mentioned light receiving element 23d. In these cases, a control signal specifying the duty cycle of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) can be output from the microcomputer 11 to the light-emitting drive circuit 32. That is, the input and output ports 17 and 21 can have connection pads 17a and 21a respectively connected to the wiring that sends the signal related to the PWM setting from the first substrate 2 to the second substrate 3.

[0048] The switching of these circuits by the selector 16 may also be performed by FET. In this case, the FET may be set so that the power generated by the solar cell 25 can be supplied to the battery 30 even in a stopped state where power is not supplied to the microcomputer 11. Conversely, the circuit of the selector 16 may be set so that the solar cell 25 emits light only when a signal of a light emission command is output from the microcomputer 11.

[0049] In addition, the selector 16 may connect any one of the signal wires connected to the plurality of motors 22 to a wire that outputs a drive signal from the microcomputer 11. Thus, the microcomputer 11 can selectively drive one of the motors 22.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of motors 22a and 22b are selectively operated.

[0051] The selector 16 is connected to selectively output the drive control signal of the motor 22 output from the microcomputer 11 to any one of the plurality of motors 22a and 22b under the control of the microcomputer 11. The plurality of motors 22a and 22b correspond to the first device of the present embodiment. That is, two signal lines out of a total of four signal lines connected to the two motors 22a and 22b are selectively connected to the microcomputer 11 through the selector 16. Thus, the action of any one of the motors 22a and 22b is selectively controlled by the microcomputer 11. In addition, the configuration and circuit of the FET related to the selection are not limited to the case shown in the figure. In addition, in addition to the above, it is also possible to supply a signal for stopping the motors 22a and 22b.

[0052] and Figure 2 Similarly, regarding the signal wiring of other motors, the selector 16 may have a circuit that selectively connects any one of the two motors to the microcomputer 11. Regarding the motors that do not need to be selected because the number of motors is less than the maximum expansion number, they may be connected to the side that is connected to the microcomputer 11 in the initial state. The connection pad 17a on the side where the motor selection is switched may not be connected to the second substrate 3. In this case, the connection pad 17a may also be in contact with the insulating layer of the second substrate 3.

[0053] Figure 5 An example is shown in which the presence or absence of the selection motor 22c is switched.

[0054] The selector 16 can switch, under the control of the microcomputer 11, whether to output the drive control signal of the motor 22 output from the microcomputer 11 to the motor 22c. Usually, the motor 22c is switched to be drivable by outputting the drive control signal itself from the microcomputer 11 as needed. However, the selector 16 can also be switched to not select the motor 22c. When the selector 16 is wired in a manner that includes such a switch, the microcomputer 11 can switch, through the selector 16, between a first state in which the maximum number of motors 22 that can be selected is selected and a second state in which a part of the motors 22 is selected. The part mentioned here does not exist as Figure 4 In such a case where the wiring of any motor 22 is necessarily selected, zero may be included.

[0055] The selector 16 may have the above Figure 2 to Figure 5 In addition, in both the case where the solar cell 25 emits light and the case where the LED is independently provided, the path for making the LED emit light may be different from the path for the solar cell 25 to generate electricity.

[0056] In addition, Figure 4 The electronic table 1 and Figure 5 When the electronic watch 1 shown is an independent electronic device, it can include a common first substrate 2 and mutually different second substrates 3, 3. That is, Figure 4 The electronic timepiece 1 includes an analog block having two motors 22a and 22b built therein, and a second substrate 3 having connection pads 21a corresponding to the motors 22a and 22b, respectively. Figure 5 The electronic timepiece 1 includes an analog block having a motor 22c built therein, and a second substrate 3 having connection pads 22a corresponding to the motor 22c. Figure 4 Electronic table 1 and Figure 5 The electronic watches 1 may be electronic watches of a common category, such as different models of electronic watches.

[0057] The first substrate 2 has a connection pad 17a that can be connected to two connection pads 21a for the motor 22. Thus, the first substrate 2 can be connected to any of the second substrates 3, 3 in different electronic watches 1, 1. The selector 16 of the first substrate 2 can switch, under the control of the microcomputer 11, whether the drive control signal of the motor 22 output from the microcomputer 11 is output to the two motors 22a, 22b or to the single motor 22c. In other words, in Figure 4 In the electronic timepiece 1 shown in FIG. 1 , the microcomputer 11 can selectively operate the motors 22a and 22b, the maximum number of which is two in this case, through the selector 16. Figure 5 In the electronic timepiece 1 shown, the microcomputer 11 can selectively operate the motors 22 c whose number (one) is smaller than the maximum selectable number (two) through the selector 16 .

[0058] Figure 6 An example of allocation of functions to the second substrate is shown.

[0059] As described above, the different second substrates 3 a and 3 b corresponding to models having different functions can be combined with the common first substrate 2 .

[0060] like Figure 6 As shown in (a), a solar cell capable of emitting light, A1 motors, A2 light-receiving elements, A3 button switches, a crown, a buzzer, a liquid crystal screen, a memory with a capacity of A, etc. can be connected to the second substrate 3a. On the other hand, Figure 6 As shown in (b), LEDs, B1 motors, B2 light receiving elements, B3 button switches, a crown, a speaker, a liquid crystal screen, and a memory of a capacitor B can be connected to the second substrate 3b.

[0061] The number of signal lines connected between the second substrate 3a, 3b and the first substrate 2 may be different depending on the number A1, A2, A3 and the number B1, B2, B3. Regardless of the type of the second substrate 3a, 3b, etc., the input / output port 17 only needs to have a corresponding number of connection pads. Each connection pad 17a of the input / output port 17 is connected to the selector 16, and can be arbitrarily selected within the range that can be processed together, and can be connected to the microcomputer 11 and other parts.

[0062] As described above, the electronic watch 1 of the present embodiment includes a first substrate 2 and a second substrate 3. The first substrate 2 includes a plurality of connection pads 17a, a microcomputer 11, and a selector 16 for switching the connection between the connection pads 17a and the microcomputer 11. The second substrate 3 includes a plurality of connection pads 21a connected to a plurality of action units (peripheral devices) that perform certain actions. The connection pads 21a are connected to the connection pads 17a, respectively. The selector 16 switches the connection pads 17a connected to the microcomputer 11 based on the control of the microcomputer 11.

[0063] Such an electronic watch 1 separates the connection terminals of peripheral devices whose number or configuration may vary for each model to a second substrate 3 that is different from the first substrate 2 that includes a basic structure such as a microcomputer 11. Therefore, in a model that can use the same microcomputer 11, while making the first substrate 2 universal, only the second substrate 3 needs to be changed in design or function. In addition, the first substrate 2 has a selector 16, so that it is possible to switch which signal wiring of each peripheral device on the second substrate 3 is connected to the microcomputer 11. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 does not need to make the microcomputer 11 simultaneously deal with all of the number, content, etc. of the structures on the second substrate 3 that can be changed. In addition, since the microcomputer 11 controls the switching of the connection by the selector 16, dynamic switching can be performed during the operation of the electronic watch 1. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 can flexibly expand the structure (peripheral devices) that can be controlled by the microcomputer 11, and use the first substrate 2 in multiple models.

[0064] In addition, the peripheral device may include at least one of a motor 22, a light receiving element 23, a solar cell 25 capable of emitting light, and a light emitting element such as an LED. In the electronic watch 1 that is displayed by multiple pointers, the number and position of them are easily changed due to various changes in design and function. Their connection parts are flexibly designed on the second substrate 3, and their signals are simply sent to the first substrate 2 of the common specification via the input and output port 17. As a result, with respect to the electronic watch 1, it is possible to develop and manufacture a model in which the design or function is changed without any effort compared with the past without making any design changes to the first substrate 2.

[0065] In addition, the peripheral device may include a plurality of first devices of the same category. The microcomputer 11 can selectively connect the microcomputer 11 to a portion of the plurality of first devices through the selector 16. That is, the electronic watch 1 can sequentially switch the connection with the signal wiring of the microcomputer 11 as long as the peripheral devices of the same category do not operate at the same time. Thus, the microcomputer 11 can control the operation of more first devices in parallel. Therefore, it is easy to handle peripheral devices exceeding the number of input and output terminals of the microcomputer 11.

[0066] In addition, the microcomputer 11 can also switch through the selector 16 a first state in which a maximum number of first devices of the same category connected to the microcomputer 11 via the connection pad 17a and the selector 16 are operated, and a second state in which a number of first devices of the same category less than the maximum number are operated. That is, the plurality of first devices of the electronic watch 1 may not always be connected to the microcomputer 11. In this way, by separating a part of the first device from the microcomputer 11, it is possible to reduce power consumption associated with electronic components through which standby current flows, especially even when not in operation. In addition, in a case where the number of devices connected to the microcomputer 11 is greater than the number of terminals of the microcomputer 11, by temporarily disconnecting a part of the first devices to operate the other devices, each device can be operated without changing the structure and wiring pattern of the microcomputer 11 and the first substrate 2 respectively.

[0067] In addition, the electronic watch 1 may include a plurality of pointers 29 and a gear train 28 that rotates the plurality of pointers 29 in conjunction with each other. In this case, the peripheral device includes a plurality of motors 22 and a plurality of light receiving elements 23 corresponding to the plurality of pointers 29. According to the operation of the plurality of motors 22, the corresponding gear trains 28 rotate, and the pointers 29 also rotate. The plurality of light receiving elements 23 have the following structure: when the plurality of gear trains 28 are respectively located at specific rotational positions corresponding to the operation of the motors 22, the amount of light detected by the light receiving elements 23 changes. The microcomputer 11 can also switch through the selector 16 so as to selectively obtain the light detection signal of any one of the plurality of light receiving elements 23.

[0068] In the case where the movement of the pointer 29 is intermittent, it is not necessary to continue the detection action of the pointer 29 except when it is in motion. In addition, when it should be located at a position that has not been detected in advance, the detection action can be slightly omitted. In addition, before the multiple pointers 29 that move at the same timing move next, the object of obtaining the light detection signal of the microcomputer 11 can be quickly switched. Therefore, by appropriately switching and controlling the light receiving element 23 that becomes the object of receiving the light detection signal, the electronic watch 1 can use the light receiving element 23 more efficiently to detect the position of the gear train 28. In addition, the electronic watch 1 can flexibly increase or decrease the number of light receiving elements 23 as needed.

[0069] In addition, the peripheral device may also include a plurality of motors 22. In this case, the microcomputer 11 can also switch, through the selector 16, between a first state in which the maximum number of motors 22 connected to the microcomputer 11 among the plurality of motors 22 is actuated and a second state in which the number of motors 22 less than the maximum number is actuated. That is, each motor 22 can be excluded from the action control object of the microcomputer 11 at a timing when the motor 22 does not need to be actuated. Thus, the electronic watch 1 can more efficiently control the actions of the plurality of motors 22. In addition, the electronic watch 1 can flexibly increase or decrease the number of motors 22 as needed.

[0070] In addition, the peripheral device may also include and be used for a second device for multiple actions. In this case, the microcomputer 11 can also switch through the selector 16 so as to selectively perform any one of the multiple actions. That is, the selector 16 can output an appropriate signal to such a second device according to the control signal so that it performs any one of the actions. In particular, the selector 16 not only switches the control signal to the second device, but also changes the signal wiring connected to the second device and connected to the first substrate 2. Through the action of the selector 16, the electronic watch 1 can flexibly switch the action of the second device on the second substrate 3 without changing the components and wiring on the first substrate 2.

[0071] In addition, the second device may also include a solar cell 25 having a power generation layer, the power generation layer including a compound semiconductor material that can emit light by applying a voltage. The microcomputer 11 can also switch the solar cell 25 to generate power and emit light through the selector 16. With such a structure, the space and part of the wiring of the solar cell panel and LED that were previously required separately can be integrated. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 can efficiently control the operation of more peripheral devices.

[0072] In addition, the electronic watch 1 may also hold a memory 12 for storing selection information of the selector 16. The microcomputer 11 can control the signals of the signal wiring connected to the selector 16 based on the selection information. That is, at the manufacturing stage, the operation contents corresponding to the control signals of the respective connection pads 17a of the input / output port 17 and the peripheral devices of the corresponding targets in the second substrate 3 have been determined. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 can easily make the respective peripheral devices on the second substrate 3 perform the desired operations by the microcomputer 11 outputting the operation control signal based on the selection information.

[0073] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

[0074] For example, the peripheral device is not limited to the above structure. For example, a sensor for measuring physical quantities and other peripheral devices whose positions need to be determined according to the design can be connected to the second substrate 3. In addition, other types of switches such as a slide switch, a rocker switch, etc. can also be included instead of the button switch 26.

[0075] In the above, multiple peripheral devices of the same type can be switched, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Even between peripheral devices of different types, when the signals are of the same type, for example, all are digital signals, the connection with the microcomputer 11 can be switched by the selector 16 .

[0076] In addition, the position detection of the gear train 28 may be performed without using external light. For example, a light emitting element may be provided on one side of one surface of the gear, and a light receiving element located on the opposite side of the one surface of the gear may be used to detect the light of the light emitting element that has passed through a hole located at a specific position of the gear. In this case, the operation of the light emitting element may be selectively switched in conjunction with the switching of the light receiving element 23 by the selector 16.

[0077] The motor 22 is not limited to a stepping motor for rotating the gear train 28 and the pointer 29. For example, a weighted rotary motor for performing a notification operation by vibration may be included.

[0078] The solar cell 25 may generate electricity using other materials and may not emit light accordingly. In this case, a light emitting element such as an LED may be provided separately.

[0079] In the above description, the satellite wave reception processing unit 14 having no movable part but considering the position and direction of the antenna for other structures is located on the first substrate 2. However, the satellite wave reception processing unit 14 may be located on the second substrate 3.

[0080] In the above description, the electronic timepiece 1 is described as having a combination of one first substrate 2 and one second substrate 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto and a case where a plurality of second substrates 3 are connected to one first substrate 2 is not excluded.

[0081] The selector 16 can only switch between two signal wirings, but is not limited thereto. The selector 16 may have a circuit structure capable of selectively selecting a signal wiring from three or more signal wirings or selecting a part of two or more signal wirings.

[0082] In addition, in the above description, an electronic watch is cited as an example of an electronic device, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It may also be an electronic device that displays a measured value other than a moment or a time based on the control of the microcomputer 11. Alternatively, the electronic watch 1 may not have the pointer 29, etc. When a structure whose position or number can be changed in design or function can be controlled by the shared microcomputer 11, the structure that can be changed relative to the shared first substrate 2 can be concentrated on the second substrate 3 as described above.

[0083] In addition, the specific structures, configurations, signal wiring connection relationships, functions, and operation contents shown in the above embodiments can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. The scope of the present invention includes the scope of the invention described in the patent protection scope and its equivalent scope.

Claims

1. An electronic watch, characterized in that: have: A first substrate having a plurality of first connection terminals, a processor, and a selector for switching the connection between the first connection terminals and the processor; as well as The second substrate has a plurality of second connection terminals, and the plurality of second connection terminals are respectively connected to a plurality of peripheral devices that perform certain actions. The second connection terminals are respectively connected to the first connection terminals, The selector switches the first connection terminal connected to the processor according to the control of the processor.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1, characterized in that: The peripheral devices include a plurality of first devices of the same category, The processor selectively connects the processor to a portion of the plurality of first devices through the selector.

3. The electronic watch according to claim 2, characterized in that: The processor switches a first state and a second state through the selector, wherein the first state enables a maximum number of first devices of the same category connected to the processor via the first connection terminal and the selector to operate, and the second state enables a number of first devices of the same category less than the maximum number to operate.

4. The electronic watch according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The electronic timepiece further includes a plurality of hands and a plurality of gear trains, wherein the plurality of gear trains rotate the plurality of hands corresponding to the plurality of gear trains, respectively. The peripheral device includes a plurality of motors and a plurality of light detection elements, The plurality of motors rotate the plurality of gear trains respectively corresponding to the plurality of motors, thereby rotating the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. The plurality of light detecting elements are located at positions where different amounts of detected light are detected when a first condition is satisfied and when a second condition is satisfied, the first condition being that the plurality of gear trains corresponding to the plurality of motors are respectively at specific rotational positions, and the second condition being that the plurality of gear trains are at rotational positions different from the first condition. The processor switches through the selector so as to selectively acquire a light detection signal of any one of the plurality of light detection elements.

5. The electronic watch according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The electronic timepiece further includes a plurality of hands and a plurality of gear trains, wherein the plurality of gear trains rotate the plurality of hands corresponding to the plurality of gear trains, respectively. The first device of the same category comprises a plurality of motors, The plurality of motors rotate the plurality of gear trains respectively corresponding to the plurality of motors, thereby rotating the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. The processor switches between a first state and a second state through the selector, wherein the first state causes a maximum number of the motors connected to the processor via the first connection terminal and the selector to operate, and the second state causes a number of the motors less than the maximum number to operate.

6. The electronic watch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The peripheral device includes a plurality of second devices that can be used in conjunction with each other. The processor is switched by the selector so as to selectively perform any one of the multiple actions.

7. The electronic watch according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second device includes a solar cell having a power generation layer including a compound semiconductor material capable of emitting light by applying a voltage, The processor switches whether the solar cell generates electricity or emits light through the selector.

8. The electronic watch according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The electronic watch includes a storage unit that stores selection information of the selector. The processor controls signals of signal wirings connected to the selector, respectively, according to the selection information.

9. The electronic watch according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The electronic watch further includes an analog block including a plurality of pointers, a plurality of gear trains, and a plurality of light emitting elements, wherein the plurality of gear trains rotate the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. The peripheral device includes a plurality of motors and a plurality of light detecting elements corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements respectively. The plurality of motors rotate the plurality of gear trains respectively corresponding to the plurality of motors, thereby rotating the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. When a first condition that the plurality of gear trains corresponding to the plurality of motors are respectively at specific rotational positions is satisfied and a second condition that the plurality of gear trains are at rotational positions different from the first condition is satisfied, the plurality of light detecting elements are located at positions where the amounts of detected light of the same intensity emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements corresponding to the plurality of light detecting elements are different. The processor switches through the selector so as to selectively cause any one of the plurality of light emitting elements to emit light, and switches through the selector so as to selectively acquire a light detection signal of any one of the plurality of light detecting elements.

10. The electronic watch according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The electronic watch further includes an analog block including a plurality of pointers, a plurality of gear trains, and a plurality of light emitting elements, wherein the plurality of gear trains rotate the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. The first device of the same category comprises a plurality of motors, The plurality of motors rotate the plurality of gear trains respectively corresponding to the plurality of motors, thereby rotating the plurality of pointers respectively corresponding to the plurality of gear trains. The processor switches between a first state and a second state through the selector, wherein the first state causes a maximum number of the motors connected to the processor via the first connection terminal and the selector to operate, and the second state causes a number of the motors less than the maximum number to operate.

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