Electronic watch

The electronic watch automatically switches between displaying high-priority and low-priority information based on detection unit feedback, addressing the inconvenience of manual battery level display and ensuring timely battery status awareness.

JP2025115018APending Publication Date: 2025-08-06SEIKO EPSON CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024009312
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-01-25
Publication Date
2025-08-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing electronic watches require user operation to display battery level, which is inconvenient and may lead to missed notifications.

Method used

An electronic watch with an indicator hand that automatically switches between displaying high-priority information (e.g., day of the week) and low-priority information (e.g., battery level) based on detection unit feedback, allowing manual switching between modes via buttons.

Benefits of technology

Automatically prioritizes critical information display and allows easy switching to less critical information with minimal user interaction, enhancing convenience and preventing battery depletion.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an electronic watch capable of automatically displaying high priority information to a user according to a state of the watch and displaying low priority information by user operation.SOLUTION: The electronic watch comprises: an indicator hand capable of selectively displaying a plurality of first scales indicating first information and a plurality of second scales indicating second information; a detection part detecting a state of the watch; and a control part controlling the position indicated by the indicator hand; and an operation part performing display changeover operation. In accordance with detection results of the detection part, the control part automatically switches and performs a first control mode for displaying the first information preferentially and a second control mode for displaying the second information preferentially. In the first control mode, when display changeover operation is performed, the indicator hand moves a position indicating the first information to a position indicating the second information. In the second control mode, when the display changeover operation is performed, the indicator hand moves from the position indicating the second information to the position indicating the first information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an electronic watch that has a secondary battery that is charged by a solar cell or the like, and in which the day of the week hand that normally indicates the day of the week functions as an indicator hand that, when pressed, displays the remaining battery charge based on the battery voltage of the secondary battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-161551 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the electronic watch of Patent Document 1, the day hand, which normally indicates the day of the week, indicates the remaining battery level when the user operates a button, so the remaining battery level could not be displayed unless the user operated a button. For this reason, there is a demand for electronic timepieces that can automatically display high-priority information to the user according to the state of the timepiece, and can also display low-priority information through user operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The electronic watch disclosed herein comprises an indicator hand that can select and point to one of a plurality of first scales that indicate first information and a plurality of second scales that indicate second information, a detection unit that detects the state of the watch, a control unit that controls the position of the indicator hand, and an operation unit that performs display switching operations, wherein the control unit automatically switches between a first control mode that prioritizes indicating the first information and a second control mode that prioritizes indicating the second information depending on the detection results of the detection unit, and in the first control mode, when the display switching operation is performed with the operation unit, moves the indicator hand from a position that indicates the first information to a position that indicates the second information, and in the second control mode, when the display switching operation is performed with the operation unit, moves the indicator hand from a position that indicates the second information to a position that indicates the first information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an electronic timepiece according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the movement of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a second small hand, which is an indicator hand of the first embodiment, and a scale indicated by the second small hand. [Figure 4] 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the display position of the remaining battery charge and the battery voltage in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing in the normal time display mode of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in a display switching mode according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in a first control mode according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in a second control mode according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing in the normal time display mode of the second embodiment. [Figure 10]10 is a flowchart showing a process in a display switching mode according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second small hand, which is an indicator hand of the third embodiment, and a scale indicated by the second small hand. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the illuminance level and the illuminance in the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in a first control mode according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in a second control mode according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second small hand, which is an indicator hand of the fourth embodiment, and a scale indicated by the second small hand. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in a first control mode according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of operation when the illuminance is high in the second control mode of the third embodiment. [Figure 18] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of operation when the illuminance is low in the second control mode of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] [First embodiment] An electronic timepiece 1 according to a first embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic timepiece 1 comprises an exterior case 2, a crown 3 for external operation, and two buttons 4A and 4B. As will be described later, the dial 5, movement, etc. are housed inside the exterior case 2. The crown 3 is located at the 3 o'clock position of the dial 5 in a plan view, and the buttons 4A and 4B are located at the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions, respectively. The electronic timepiece 1 is equipped with center hands 6 including an hour hand 61, a minute hand 62, and a second hand 63, a first small hand 71, a second small hand 72, a third small hand 73, and a fourth small hand 74, and a date wheel 50.

[0008] The dial 5 is formed in a circular shape from a non-conductive material such as polycarbonate. A central through-hole (not shown) that passes through the dial 5 is formed in the center of the plane of the dial 5, and a center hand shaft 60 to which the center hand 6 is attached is disposed in the central through-hole. The dial 5 has three small windows (subdials). That is, as shown in FIG. 1 , the dial 5 has a circular first small window 71A and a first small hand 71 at the 6 o'clock position relative to the planar center where the center hand axis 60 is provided, a circular second small window 72A and a second small hand 72 at the 9 o'clock position, and a circular third small window 73A and a third small hand 73 at the 12 o'clock position. A rectangular date window 51 is provided between 4 o'clock and 5 o'clock (at the 4.5 o'clock position) relative to the planar center of the dial 5. A date wheel 50, which is a calendar wheel, is located on the back side of the dial 5, and the date wheel 50 can be seen through the date window 51. Between the planar center of the dial 5 and the date window 51, a circular fourth small window 74A and a fourth small hand 74 are provided. For this reason, in addition to a central through-hole formed in the center of the plane through which the center hand axis 60 is inserted, the dial 5 is also formed with four through-holes (not shown) through which the small hand axes of the first small hand 71, second small hand 72, third small hand 73, and fourth small hand 74 are inserted, as well as a date window 51.

[0009] The hour hand 61, minute hand 62, and second hand 63 indicate the local time during normal use. The second hand 63 also functions as a second chronograph hand in the chronograph mode. The first small hand 71 is a home time hand that indicates the time in a time zone preset by the user, and is composed of a home time hour hand 711 and a home time minute hand 712. The home time hour hand 711 and home time minute hand 712 function as hour chronograph hands and minute chronograph hands in chronograph mode. The home time hour hand 711 is a 12-hour hand that makes one rotation every 12 hours. The second small hand 72 is an indicator hand that indicates various information. Details of the second small window 72A and the second small hand 72 will be described later. The third small hand 73 is a 1 / 20 second chronograph hand. The fourth small hand 74 is an AM / PM hand that indicates whether the home time indicated by the first small hand 71 is in the morning or afternoon.

[0010] 2 shows the configuration of the movement 10 housed in the exterior case 2 of the electronic timepiece 1. The movement 10 includes an input device 11, a receiving device 12, a timing device 13, a memory device 14, a solar panel 15, a charging circuit 16, a secondary battery 17, a control device 20, a drive mechanism 30, and a display device 40. The input device 11 is configured to include the above-mentioned crown 3, button 4A, and button 4B, and outputs a detection signal to the control device 20 when the crown 3, button 4A, or button 4B is operated. Specifically, the input device 11 detects whether the crown 3 is pulled out to the 0th, 1st, or 2nd position, the direction and amount of rotation of the crown 3, and the operation of pushing and releasing the button 4A and the button 4B, and outputs detection signals thereof. In this embodiment, the operation unit for performing the display switching operation is configured by the input device 11 having the crown 3 or buttons 4A and 4B.

[0011] The receiving device 12 is connected to an antenna 120 and processes satellite signals received via the antenna 120 to obtain GPS time information and position information. The antenna 120 can be any antenna that can receive radio waves from satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites and quasi-zenith satellites that orbit the Earth in a predetermined orbit, and any antenna that can be incorporated into the electronic timepiece 1, such as a patch antenna, ring antenna, or inverted F antenna, can be used. Although not shown, the receiving device 12 includes an RF (Radio Frequency) unit that receives satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites and quasi-zenith satellites and converts them into digital signals, a BB unit (baseband unit) that performs correlation determination of the received signals and demodulates the navigation message, and an information acquisition unit that acquires and outputs GPS time information and location information (positioning information) from the navigation message (satellite signal) demodulated by the BB unit. For this reason, the electronic watch 1 has the function of receiving satellite signals from multiple positioning information satellites, such as GPS satellites and quasi-zenith satellites, which orbit the Earth in a predetermined orbit, to obtain satellite time information and correct the internal time information.

[0012] The timekeeping device 13 includes a quartz oscillator driven by power stored in a secondary battery 17, and outputs a 1 Hz reference signal based on the oscillation signal of the quartz oscillator.

[0013] The storage device 14 includes a time data storage unit 140 , a scheduled reception time storage unit 145 , a time zone data storage unit 146 , and an airplane mode setting storage unit 147 . The time data storage unit 140 stores reference time data 141, time difference data 142, and display time data 143.

[0014] The reference time data 141 stores Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Time difference data 142 stores the time difference information relative to Coordinated Universal Time for the time displayed by display device 40. For example, when display device 40 displays the time in Japan, time difference data 142 stores the time difference information of "+9 hours." Display time data 143 stores time information obtained by adding time difference data 142 to reference time data 141.

[0015] The scheduled reception time memory unit 145 stores the time when the automatic reception process in timekeeping mode will be executed. When the displayed time data 143 reaches the time stored in the scheduled reception time memory unit 145, the control device 20 of the electronic watch 1 activates the timekeeping unit 21 and executes the automatic reception process in timekeeping mode. In timekeeping mode, satellite signals are received and acquired from at least one satellite. The scheduled reception time stored in the scheduled reception time memory unit 145 can be set manually by the user, or it can be set to the time when the automatic reception process was previously successfully executed.

[0016] The time zone data storage unit 146 stores time zone data that associates location information based on latitude and longitude with time difference information for the area identified by the location information. Therefore, when current location information is acquired in positioning mode, the control device 20 can acquire time difference information for the current location based on the latitude and longitude of the current location information.

[0017] The airplane mode setting storage unit 147 stores airplane mode setting information. The airplane mode setting information is a flag of "1" or "0" indicating whether the airplane mode is set or not, and for example, "1" is set when the airplane mode is ON, and "0" is set when the airplane mode is OFF.

[0018] Solar panel 15 is a solar cell used in a watch, and is made up of multiple solar cells connected in series. Charging circuit 16 supplies the power generated by solar panel 15 to secondary battery 17, charging secondary battery 17. Secondary battery 17 is the power source for movement 10.

[0019] The drive mechanism 30 is configured to include a step motor, wheel train, drive circuit, etc. (not shown) that drive the hour hand 61, minute hand 62, second hand 63, date indicator 50, first small hand 71 (home time hour hand 711, home time minute hand 712), second small hand 72, third small hand 73, and fourth small hand 74. The home time hour hand 711 and home time minute hand 712 of the first small hand 71 and the fourth small hand 74 are driven in conjunction with one motor. The other hands and the date indicator 50 are each driven by independent motors.

[0020] The display device 40 comprises a time display unit 41, a calendar display unit 42, a day of the week indicator display unit 43, a home time display unit 44, and a 1 / 20 second chronograph display unit 45. The time display unit 41 comprises an hour hand 61, a minute hand 62, and a second hand 63 that indicate the time. The calendar display unit 42 comprises a date wheel 50. The day of the week indicator display unit 43 comprises a second small hand 72 that is an indicator hand that indicates information such as the day of the week. The home time display unit 44 comprises a first small hand 71, a home time hour hand 711, and a home time minute hand 712. The 1 / 20 second chronograph display unit 45 comprises a third small hand 73.

[0021] The control device 20 is configured with a timepiece IC that controls the electronic timepiece 1. The control unit of this embodiment is configured with the control device 20. The control device 20 includes a timekeeping unit 21, a positioning unit 22, a time difference correction unit 23, a time correction unit 24, a display time control unit 25, an indicator control unit 26, a chronograph control unit 27, and a detection unit 28.

[0022] The timekeeping unit 21 operates the receiving device 12 to capture at least one positioning information satellite, receive radio waves from the satellite signals transmitted from that positioning information satellite, and execute a timekeeping mode reception process to acquire time information. In this embodiment, the timekeeping unit 21 is configured to be able to execute reception processes in both automatic and manual reception processes. Examples of automatic reception processes include scheduled automatic reception processing, which executes reception processing when the scheduled reception time stored in the scheduled reception time memory unit 145 arrives, and light-activated automatic reception processing, which executes reception processing when it is determined that sunlight is shining on the solar panel 15 outdoors. Note that when airplane mode is ON, the timekeeping unit 21 does not execute either the automatic or manual reception process.

[0023] The positioning unit 22 operates the receiving device 12 to capture four or more positioning information satellites, receives radio waves from satellite signals transmitted from each positioning information satellite, and executes reception processing in positioning mode to calculate and acquire current location information including latitude and longitude information. The positioning unit 22 can also acquire time information when receiving satellite signals. In this embodiment, the positioning unit 22 is configured to be able to execute reception processing in manual reception processing. Note that when airplane mode is ON, the positioning unit 22 does not execute manual reception processing.

[0024] The time difference correction unit 23 updates the time difference data 142. Specifically, if the positioning unit 22 is successful in acquiring location information, it stores the time difference information acquired from the time zone data storage unit 146 in the time difference data 142 based on the acquired latitude and longitude information. Furthermore, when time difference information is set by operating the input device 11, the time difference correction unit 23 stores the selected time difference information in the time difference data 142.

[0025] If the time measurement unit 21 or positioning unit 22 successfully acquires time information during reception processing, the time correction unit 24 adjusts the acquired time information using the leap second information contained in the satellite signal to determine Coordinated Universal Time, and updates the reference time data 141 with this Coordinated Universal Time. Once leap second information is successfully received, its value can be stored and used. Furthermore, the leap second information can be updated by receiving it at a predetermined interval by the time measurement unit 21. The time correction unit 24 also updates the reference time data 141 using the 1 Hz reference signal output from the timing device 13. In conjunction with updating the reference time data 141 , the time adjustment unit 24 also updates the display time data 143 using the time difference data 142 .

[0026] The display time control unit 25 controls the drive mechanism 30 in conjunction with updating of the display time data 143 to update the displays of the time display unit 41, calendar display unit 42, and home time display unit 44 of the display device 40. The indicator control unit 26 controls the driving of the second small hand 72 of the indicator display unit 43. Therefore, the control unit that controls the indicated position of the indicator hand is mainly composed of the indicator control unit 26. The chronograph control unit 27 controls the driving of the third small hand 73, the second hand 63, the home time hour hand 711, and the home time minute hand 712, which are used as chronograph hands, in the chronograph mode. The detector 28 detects the state of the watch, and in this embodiment, detects the voltage of the secondary battery 17, that is, the remaining battery capacity.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the second small window 72A that displays various information is provided with scales that display various information. In second small window 72A, a scale indicated by second small hand 72, which is an indicator hand, is printed or otherwise indicated in ring-shaped scale area 720. In scale area 720, first scales 751-757 indicating the days of the week as first information 750, second scales 761-764 indicating the remaining battery power as second information 760, scales 771-773 indicating the satellite signal reception mode, scales 781-783 indicating the daylight saving time setting mode, scale 785 indicating the chronograph mode, and scale 786 indicating the in-flight mode are indicated.

[0028] The first marking 750 indicates the day of the week, and is written in the left half of the scale area 720, specifically in a first area 720A set from approximately the 6.5 o'clock direction to approximately the 10 o'clock direction with respect to the pointer axis of the second small hand 72. Specifically, first scale markings 751 to 757 made up of seven alphabetical letters indicating the days of the week, from the alphabetical letter "S" indicating Sunday to the alphabetical letter "S" indicating Saturday, are written clockwise in the first area 720A.

[0029] The second marking 760 indicates the remaining battery power of the secondary battery 17, and is written in a second area 720B in the scale region 720, which is set from approximately the 4 o'clock direction to approximately the 6 o'clock direction with respect to the axis of the second small hand 72. Specifically, the second area 720B is disposed adjacent to the first area 720A, and four second scale marks 761 to 764, "F, M1, M2, E," indicating the remaining battery power, are written in a clockwise direction. In this embodiment, when the second small hand 72 indicates the remaining battery capacity, as shown in Figure 4, if the battery voltage of the secondary battery 17 is less than 1.20 V, the second small hand 72 points to the second mark 764 of the remaining battery capacity "E", if the battery voltage of the secondary battery 17 is 1.20 V or more and less than 1.30 V, the second small hand 72 points to the second mark 763 of the remaining battery capacity "M2", if the battery voltage of the secondary battery 17 is 1.30 V or more and less than 1.40 V, the second small hand 72 points to the second mark 762 of the remaining battery capacity "M1", and if the battery voltage of the secondary battery 17 is 1.40 V or more, the second small hand 72 points to the second mark 761 of the remaining battery capacity "F". 1, the positions of the first area 720A, i.e., the positions of the first scales 751-757, are located closer to the outer periphery of the dial 5 than the positions of the second area 720B, i.e., the positions of the second scales 761-764. "Close to the outer periphery of the dial 5" means that the distance from the planar center of the dial 5, i.e., the position where the center hand pivot 60 is located, to the first scales 751-757 is greater than the distance from the planar center of the dial 5 to the second scales 761-764. For this reason, the second scales 761-764 may be hidden by the hour hand 61, but the first scales 751-757 are not hidden by the hour hand 61, making it easy to check the day of the week indicated by the second small hand 72.

[0030] 3, the scales 771-773 indicating the reception modes include scale 771 marked "1" at approximately the 10.5 o'clock position in scale area 720, indicating timekeeping mode, scale 772 marked "4+" at approximately the 11 o'clock position, indicating positioning mode, and scale 773 marked "LS" at approximately the 3.5 o'clock position, indicating the reception mode for acquiring leap second information. Each of these scales 771-773 is indicated by second small hand 72 during automatic reception operation, manual reception operation, and when the reception result display operation is performed. The scales 781-783 indicating the daylight saving time setting mode include a scale 781 marked "AT" at approximately the 1 o'clock position in the scale area 720, a scale 782 marked "ST" at approximately the 2 o'clock position, and a scale 783 marked "DST" at approximately the 3 o'clock position. "AT" indicates AUTO mode, which automatically sets daylight saving time. AUTO mode is a mode in which, when location information is acquired from a satellite signal, the time is automatically changed to daylight saving time if the area observes daylight saving time. "ST" indicates standard mode, which is a mode in which standard time is always displayed by manual setting, i.e., a mode in which daylight saving time is canceled. "DST" indicates a mode in which daylight saving time is always displayed by manual setting. Each of these scales 781-783 is indicated by the second small hand 72 when a mode setting operation is performed. A scale 785 labeled "CHR" indicating chronograph mode is located at the 12 o'clock position of the scale area 720. An airplane mark scale 786 indicates that the electronic timepiece 1 is set to airplane mode, which disables satellite signal reception, and is located at approximately the 1 o'clock position of the scale area 720. These scales 785, 786 are indicated by the second small hand 72 when an operation to set the chronograph mode or airplane mode is performed.

[0031] Next, the operation control of the second small hand 72 in the control device 20, which is the control section of the electronic timepiece 1, will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. When the control device 20 starts operation, it executes the normal time display mode in step S1, as shown in Figure 5. In the normal time display mode, the control device 20 controls the drive mechanism 30 via the display time control unit 25 to indicate the time of the current location, i.e., local time, using the hour hand 61, minute hand 62, and second hand 63. The control device 20 also controls the drive mechanism 30 via the display time control unit 25 to display the time of the time zone preset by the user using the home time hour hand 711 and home time minute hand 712, which form the first small hand 71. At this time, the fourth small hand 74 is an AM / PM hand that indicates whether the home time indicated by the home time hour hand 711, which forms the 12-hour hand, is AM or PM, and drives in conjunction with the home time hour hand 711 of the first small hand 71. The third small hand 73 is a 1 / 20 second chronograph hand, and therefore in the normal time display mode it is stopped at the 0 second position, that is, the 12 o'clock position of the third small window 73A.

[0032] Next, the control device 20 executes a battery voltage detection process in step S2 in which the detection unit 28 detects the voltage of the secondary battery 17, that is, the remaining battery capacity. The control device 20 then executes step S3, which determines whether the detected battery voltage detected in step S2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, i.e., a first threshold value. In this embodiment, the first threshold value is set to 1.20 V, i.e., a value at which the voltage level becomes one of "F, M1, or M2." In this embodiment, the voltage at which the timekeeping unit 21 and positioning unit 22 can receive satellite signals is 1.20 V or greater, and this voltage is set as the first threshold value.

[0033] If the control device 20 determines YES in step S3, that is, if it determines that the detected battery voltage is equal to or greater than the first threshold, it executes the first control mode in step S4. The first control mode is a mode in which the indicator control unit 26 causes the second small hand 72 to preferentially indicate the first information. In this embodiment, the first information is the current day of the week, so in the first control mode, the indicator control unit 26 causes the second small hand 72 to indicate the day of the week in local time, that is, one of the first graduations 751 to 757. For example, in S100 of FIG. 7, because the current day of the week is Wednesday, the second small hand 72 points to the first graduation 754, which indicates "W."

[0034] If the control device 20 determines NO in step S3, that is, if it determines that the detected battery voltage is less than the first threshold, it executes the second control mode in step S5. The second control mode is a mode in which the indicator control unit 26 preferentially indicates the second information with the second small hand 72. In this embodiment, the second information is the level of remaining battery power based on the detected battery voltage, so in the second control mode, the indicator control unit 26 indicates the remaining battery power with the second small hand 72. In this case, since it was determined in step S3 that the detected battery voltage is less than the first threshold, in step S5, the second small hand 72 points to the second graduation 764 of remaining battery power "E," as shown in S130 of FIG. 8.

[0035] Therefore, in normal time display mode, in which the current time is displayed by the hour hand 61, minute hand 62, and second hand 63, if the battery voltage is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the second small hand 72 displays the current day of the week. On the other hand, if the battery voltage is less than the first threshold, the second small hand 72 indicates the second scale mark 764, which indicates the remaining battery power, "E." This indicates to the user that the remaining power of the secondary battery 17 is low and that charging is required. As mentioned above, in the normal time display mode, the first small hand 71 and the fourth small hand 74 indicate the home time, and the third small hand 73 is stopped at the 0 second position.

[0036] Next, the control device 20 executes step S6 to determine whether a display switching operation has been performed. In this embodiment, the display switching operation is a press and release of the button 4B. The press and release of the button 4B refers to an operation of pressing the button 4B and then releasing the button 4B within a predetermined time, for example, within three seconds. If the control device 20 determines NO in step S6, it executes step S7 to determine whether or not it is time to detect the battery voltage. In this embodiment, the battery voltage detection timing is set at one-minute intervals. Therefore, if the time elapsed since the battery voltage detection process of step S2 is less than one minute, the control device 20 determines NO in step S7 and returns to the display switching operation determination process of step S6. On the other hand, if the time elapsed since the battery voltage detection process of step S2 is one minute or more, the control device 20 determines YES in step S7 and returns to the battery voltage detection process of step S2.

[0037] If the determination in step S6 is YES, the control device 20 executes the display switching mode in step S10. Next, the display switching mode process of step S10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. When the display switching mode starts, the control device 20 executes step S11 and determines whether the battery voltage detected in step S2 is equal to or higher than the first threshold value. If the control device 20 determines YES in step S11, it executes step S12, in which the indicator control unit 26 switches the indication of the second small hand 72 from indicating the current day of the week to indicating the remaining battery power. For example, if the current day of the week is Wednesday and the remaining battery power of the secondary battery 17 is "M1," the indicator control unit 26 moves the second small hand 72 counterclockwise from the position indicating the first scale mark 754 of "W" to the position indicating the second scale mark 762 of "M1," as shown in S110 of Fig. 7. The movement direction of the second small hand 72 is selected to be the direction that shortens the movement distance, i.e., the movement time, and when the second small hand 72 moves from the first scale mark 754 to the second scale mark 762, the second small hand 72 moves counterclockwise.

[0038] If the control device 20 determines NO in step S11, it executes step S13, in which the indicator control unit 26 switches the indication of the second small hand 72 from indicating the remaining battery power to indicating the current day of the week. For example, if the current day of the week is Wednesday and the remaining battery power of the secondary battery 17 is "E," the indicator control unit 26 moves the second small hand 72 clockwise from the position indicating the second scale mark 764 indicating "E" to the position indicating the first scale mark 754 indicating "W," as shown in S140 of FIG. 8.

[0039] After executing the display switching process in step S12 or step S13, the control device 20 determines in step S14 whether or not a display switching operation has been performed again using button 4B, or whether or not a preset display setting time has elapsed. The display setting time may be any time that allows the user to confirm the switched display, and may be, for example, 5 seconds.

[0040] If the determination in step S14 is NO, the control device 20 continues the determination process of step S14. If the control device 20 determines YES in step S14, it executes step S15 and causes the indicator control unit 26 to return the indication of the second small hand 72 to the original display. For example, when the display is switched in step S12, the indicator control unit 26 moves the second small hand 72 clockwise from the position indicating the second scale mark 762 indicating "M1" to the position indicating the first scale mark 754 indicating "W," as shown in S120 of Fig. 7. Furthermore, when the display is switched in step S13, the indicator control unit 26 moves the second small hand 72 counterclockwise from the position indicating the first scale mark 754 indicating "W" to the position indicating the second scale mark 764 indicating "E," as shown in S150 of Fig. 8. Thereafter, the control device 20 ends the display switching mode, returns to the processing of FIG. 5, executes the determination processing of step S7, and executes the processing of steps S2 to S7 described above.

[0041] [Effects of the first embodiment] In the electronic timepiece 1 of the first embodiment, the indicator control unit 26 uses the second small hand 72 to display either the first information or the second information depending on the voltage of the secondary battery 17 detected by the detection unit 28, thereby automatically providing the user with higher-priority information depending on the situation. Specifically, the second small hand 72, which serves as an indicator hand, displays the current day of the week if the voltage of the secondary battery 17 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold. If the voltage is below the first threshold, the second small hand 72 displays the second information, i.e., the remaining battery charge. Therefore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 becomes low, the control device 20 automatically indicates the second graduation 764, "E," thereby displaying the high-priority information that the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 is low and requires charging. This allows the user of the electronic timepiece 1 to notice the drop in voltage of the secondary battery 17 and use the solar panel 15 to generate electricity and charge the secondary battery 17, preventing the control device 20, which is composed of a timepiece IC, from shutting down due to a drop in voltage of the secondary battery 17. Furthermore, when the first information, the day of the week, is displayed, the second information, the remaining battery charge, can be displayed by pressing and releasing button 4B, and when the second information, the remaining battery charge, is displayed, the first information, the day of the week, can be displayed by pressing and releasing button 4B. This allows information with a lower priority to be displayed in response to the user's display switching operation, improving convenience.

[0042] Since information with a lower priority can be displayed simply by pressing and releasing button 4B, the display can be switched with a simple operation. Also, because first area 720A, in which first graduations 751-757 of first marking 750 are displayed, and second area 720B, in which second graduations 761-764 of second marking 760 are displayed, are adjacent to each other, the amount of movement of second small hand 72 when switching the display can be made small, and the display switching operation can be performed quickly.

[0043] In addition to first information 750 indicating the day of the week and second information 760 indicating the remaining battery power, second small hand 72 can also indicate scales 771 to 773 indicating the satellite signal reception mode, scales 781 to 783 indicating the daylight saving time setting mode, scale 785 indicating the chronograph mode, and scale 786 indicating the in-flight mode.This means that each piece of information can be provided to the user at the appropriate time, such as when setting or executing each mode, thereby improving convenience in this respect as well.

[0044] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described using the flowcharts of Figures 9 and 10. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a third control mode is added to the first and second control modes as a control mode of the electronic timepiece 1. Therefore, the control content that differs from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Figure 9 shows the control content when the normal time display mode is executed in the second embodiment. In Figure 9, steps S2 to S7 are the same processes as in the first embodiment, so explanations will be omitted. In the second embodiment, if the determination in step S3 is NO, the control device 20 executes step S8, which determines whether the detected battery voltage detected by the detection unit 28 is less than a second threshold value, which is a second predetermined value. If the determination in step S8 is NO, the control device 20 executes the second control mode in step S5. On the other hand, if the determination in step S8 is YES, the control device 20 executes the third control mode in step S9. Here, the second threshold, which is the second predetermined value, is smaller than the first threshold and higher than the stop voltage of the control device 20, which is a timepiece IC. In the third control mode, the control device 20 causes the indicator control unit 26 to point the second small hand 72 to the second graduation 764 of "E." Furthermore, to warn the user that the voltage of the secondary battery 17 has dropped below the second threshold, the display time control unit 25 performs warning hand movement with at least one of the hour hand 61, minute hand 62, and second hand 63, which are the time display hands. In this embodiment, the display time control unit 25 performs warning hand movement by stopping the second hand 63 at a predetermined position, such as 15 seconds or 45 seconds, or by moving the second hand 63 at intervals of two seconds or more, such as two seconds or five seconds. By moving the second hand 63 differently from its normal movement in this way, the user is warned of a drop in the voltage of the secondary battery 17.

[0045] Next, the display switching mode process of step S10B of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In Fig. 10, steps S11 to S15 are the same processes as those in the first embodiment, and therefore descriptions thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 10, in the second embodiment, if the determination in step S11 is NO, the control device 20 executes step S16 to determine whether the detected battery voltage is less than a second threshold value, which is a second predetermined value. If the determination in step S16 is NO, the control device 20 executes the display switching process of step S13. On the other hand, if the determination in step S16 is YES, that is, when the third control mode is being executed, the control device 20 continues to point the second graduation 764 of "E" by the second small hand 72 even if a display switching operation is executed using button 4B, and does not execute the display switching process of the second small hand 72.

[0046] [Effects of the second embodiment] The electronic timepiece 1 of the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 falls below a second threshold, which is lower than the first threshold, the third control mode is executed, the second small hand 72, which is an indicator hand, indicates the second information, i.e., the remaining battery charge, and the second hand 63 performs warning movement. This allows the user to more easily grasp that the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 is low. Furthermore, in the third control mode, even if a display switching operation is performed, the second small hand 72 continues to indicate the second information, so that the remaining battery charge can be continuously indicated. Since the warning movement and the low battery charge indication continue, the user can be reliably notified of the low battery voltage. Furthermore, since there is no need to drive a motor for display switching, a drop in battery voltage can be further suppressed.

[0047] [Third embodiment] Next, an electronic timepiece 1 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the second information displayed is the illuminance level of light irradiating the solar panel 15 of the electronic timepiece 1. For this reason, the following explanation will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and the same components as in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. In the electronic timepiece 1 of the third embodiment, the second window 72A is replaced with a second window 72C shown in Fig. 11. In the second area 720B of the scale region 720 of the second window 72C, three second scales 791-793 are displayed clockwise as second information 760C, each combining a sun symbol indicating the illuminance level with the numbers "3, 2, 1."

[0048] 12, when the second small hand 72 indicates the illuminance, if the illuminance is less than 3000 lux, the second small hand 72 points to the second marking 793 for illuminance level "1," if the illuminance is equal to or greater than 3000 lux but less than 10000 lux, the second small hand 72 points to the second marking 792 for illuminance level "2," and if the illuminance is 10000 lux or greater, the second marking 791 for illuminance level "3." Note that, in this embodiment, the detection unit 28 detects the illuminance based on the power generation voltage of the solar panel 15, but a separate illuminance sensor may be provided to detect the illuminance. In this embodiment, illuminance level "3" indicates a state in which the solar panel 15 is capable of generating enough power to charge the secondary battery 17, and also indicates a level at which sunlight is received outdoors, and therefore indicates a state in which the probability of successful reception of satellite signals is high. Illuminance level "2" allows solar panel 15 to generate enough power to charge secondary battery 17. However, because this is the illuminance obtained outdoors in the shade or near a window inside a building, the probability of successful satellite signal reception is lower than when illuminance level "3" is used. Illuminance level "1" indicates a state where almost no light is received outdoors at night, or where light from indoor lighting is received, and indicates a state where solar panel 15 cannot sufficiently charge secondary battery 17. Furthermore, while there is a possibility of successful satellite signal reception outdoors, there is a high possibility of failure to receive satellite signals when receiving light from indoor lighting, so the probability of successful satellite signal reception is lower than at illumination levels "3" and "2."

[0049] In the third embodiment, the first information 750 is the current day of the week, as in the first embodiment. The indication of the first marking 750 and the second marking 760C by the second small hand 72 is controlled in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, when the normal time display mode is running, the detection unit 28 of the control device 20 detects the illuminance of the light shining on the solar panel 15 from the power generation voltage of the solar panel 15, etc. The control device 20 then determines whether the illuminance of the light shining on the solar panel 15 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (illuminance threshold). The predetermined value for determining the illuminance is set to 3000 lux, which distinguishes between illuminance levels "1" and "2." If the detected illuminance is equal to or greater than 3000 lux, which is a predetermined value, the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by the indicator control unit 26 to point to the first marking 754 indicating the current day of the week, for example, "W," as the first information 750, as shown in S200 of Fig. 13. If the detected illuminance is less than 3000 lux, which is the predetermined value, the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by the indicator control unit 26 to point to the second marking 793 indicating the illuminance level "1" as the second information 760C, as shown in S230 of Fig. 14.

[0050] Next, the control device 20 determines whether a display switching operation has been performed using the button 4B. If a display switching operation has been performed, the control device 20 executes the display switching mode, and causes the indicator control unit 26 to switch the display of the second small hand 72 between the first marking 750 and the second marking 760C. That is, if the second small hand 72 was displaying the current day of the week as the first marking 750, the indicator control unit 26 switches it to display the illuminance level as the second marking 760C as shown in S210 of FIG. 13 in response to the display switching operation. If the detected illuminance is 3000 lux or higher and the display has been switched to the illuminance level, the second small hand 72 indicates an illuminance level of "2" or "3." In S210 of FIG. 13, the second small hand 72 points to the second scale mark 791, which indicates the illuminance level of "3." On the other hand, when the second small hand 72 is displaying the second information 760C, i.e., the illuminance level "1," the control device 20 switches the display to the current day of the week by performing a display switching operation, as shown in S240 of Fig. 14. For example, the indicator control unit 26 moves the second small hand 72 clockwise from the position indicating the second scale mark 793 for the illuminance level "1" to the position indicating the first scale mark 754 for Wednesday "W." Then, if button 4B is pressed again after the display switching operation, or if the display setting time, such as 5 seconds, has elapsed, the indicator control unit 26 switches the second small hand 72 to display the original information and ends the display switching mode, as shown in S220 of FIG. 13 and S250 of FIG. 14.

[0051] When the display switching mode is ended or when there is no display switching operation, the control device 20 determines whether or not it is time to detect illuminance, and when it is time to detect illuminance, the detection unit 28 detects the illuminance. The illuminance detection timing is set appropriately, for example, at one-minute intervals. As described above, the control of the second small hand 72 when the normal time display mode is executed in the third embodiment is the same as that in Figures 5 and 6 of the first embodiment, except that illuminance is detected instead of battery voltage and compared with a predetermined value for illuminance (illuminance threshold value).

[0052] [Effects of the third embodiment] According to the third embodiment, the illuminance of light shining on the solar panel 15 is detected, and if the illuminance is high, equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a first control mode is executed that displays the current day of the week as first information. If the illuminance is low, equal to or less than a predetermined value, a second control mode is executed that displays the illuminance level as second information, making the user aware that they are in a location that is unsuitable for generating electricity from the solar panel 15. This allows the user of the electronic timepiece 1 to move to a location where the solar panel 15 can receive light and charge the secondary battery 17, and prevents the control device 20, which is made up of a timepiece IC, from shutting down due to a drop in voltage in the secondary battery 17. Furthermore, when second small hand 72 is displaying the day of the week, which is the first information, and a display switching operation is performed using button 4B, which is the operation unit, second small hand 72 will point to second graduation 791, 792 for illuminance level 3 or illuminance level 2. Therefore, the user can tell that the probability of successful reception is high when second small hand 72 points to second graduation 791 for illuminance level 3, and that the probability of successful reception is low when second small hand 72 points to second graduation 792 for illuminance level 2. This allows the user to perform reception operations when the probability of successful reception is high, thereby increasing the probability of successful satellite signal reception.

[0053] [Fourth embodiment] Next, an electronic timepiece 1 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The fourth embodiment differs from the first and third embodiments in that the second information 760D displays the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 and the illuminance level of light irradiated onto the solar panel 15. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first and third embodiments, and the same components as those in the first and third embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. In the fourth embodiment, a second small window 72D shown in Fig. 15 is provided. In the second small window 72D, three second scales 791 to 793 indicating the same illuminance level as in the third embodiment and four second scales 761 to 764 indicating the remaining battery power as in the first embodiment are written clockwise in a second area 720B of the scale region 720 as second information 760D.

[0054] In this embodiment, while the normal time display mode is in operation, the detection unit 28 of the control device 20 detects the voltage of the secondary battery 17 and the illuminance of the light irradiating the solar panel 15, and compares the detected voltage and illuminance with predetermined values. When the detected voltage is equal to or greater than 1.20 V, which is a predetermined value (first threshold), the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by the indicator control unit 26 to display the first information, i.e., the current day of the week, as shown in S300 of FIG. 16. When the detected voltage is less than 1.20 V, which is a predetermined value (first threshold), and the illuminance is equal to or greater than 3,000 lux, which is a predetermined value (illuminance threshold), the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by the indicator control unit 26 to display an illuminance level of "2" or "3," as shown in S330 of FIG. 17. When the detected voltage is less than 1.20 V, which is a predetermined value (first threshold), and the illuminance is less than 3,000 lux, which is a predetermined value (illuminance threshold), the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by the indicator control unit 26 to display the remaining battery level of "E," as shown in S360 of FIG. 18.

[0055] Next, the control device 20 determines whether a display switching operation has been performed by pressing and releasing the button 4B. If a display switching operation has been performed, the control device 20 executes the display switching mode and causes the indicator control unit 26 to switch the display of the second small hand 72 between the first information and the second information. That is, if the second small hand 72 was displaying the current day of the week, which is the first information, the indicator control unit 26 of the control device 20 switches the display to display the remaining battery capacity in response to the display switching operation, as shown in S310 of FIG. 16. Because the detected voltage of the secondary battery 17 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value of 1.20 V, when the display is switched to display the remaining battery capacity, the second small hand 72 points to one of the second graduations 761-763, "F, M1, M2." In S310 of FIG. 16, the second small hand 72 points to "M1." On the other hand, if the second small hand 72 is displaying the illuminance level of the second information, the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 by a display switching operation to switch to displaying the current day of the week, as shown in S340 of Figure 17. Furthermore, when the second small hand 72 is displaying the second information of the remaining battery power, the control device 20 drives the second small hand 72 in response to a display switching operation to switch the display to the current day of the week, as shown in S370 of FIG. 18.

[0056] Then, if button 4B is pressed again after the display switching operation, or if the display setting time, such as 5 seconds, has elapsed, the indicator control unit 26 of the control device 20 switches the second small hand 72 to display the original information and ends the display switching mode, as shown in S320 of Figure 16, S350 of Figure 17, and S380 of Figure 18.

[0057] When the display switching mode is ended or when there is no display switching operation, the control device 20 determines whether or not it is time to detect the voltage and illuminance, and when it is time to detect the voltage and illuminance, the detection unit 28 detects the voltage and illuminance. The voltage and illuminance detection timing is set appropriately, for example, at one-minute intervals.

[0058] [Effects of the fourth embodiment] According to the fourth embodiment, the remaining battery charge and illuminance are detected from the voltage of the secondary battery 17 and the voltage generated by the solar panel 15, and these are compared with predetermined values. This allows the display of information according to the state of the watch to be prioritized. That is, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second small hand 72 displays the first information, thereby informing the user that charging the secondary battery 17 is not necessary. Furthermore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 is less than a predetermined value and the illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second small hand 72 displays the illuminance, thereby informing the user that the secondary battery 17 can be charged using power generated by the solar panel 15. This allows the user to recognize that power generation by the solar panel 15 can continue and the secondary battery can be charged. Furthermore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 17 is less than a predetermined value and the illuminance is less than a predetermined value, the user is informed that the location is unsuitable for power generation by the solar panel 15 and therefore the secondary battery 17 cannot be charged. This allows the user to recognize that they need to move to a location with high illuminance, such as outdoors. Then, when the user moves to a location with high illuminance, the second small hand 72 switches to displaying the illuminance, allowing the secondary battery 17 to be charged.

[0059] [Variations] The display setting time may be different when the display switching mode is executed in the first control mode and when the display switching mode is executed in the second control mode. For example, when the display switching mode is executed in the first control mode to display the remaining battery level, the display setting time until switching to the day of the week display may be, for example, 10 seconds, and when the display switching mode is executed in the second control mode to display the current day of the week, the display setting time until switching to the remaining battery level display may be, for example, 5 seconds.

[0060] The operating unit for performing the display switching operation is not limited to the button 4B, but may also be the crown 3. In other words, the operation of pulling out the crown 3 to a predetermined position, such as the first or second click, may be considered the display switching operation. Because the control device 20 can recognize the pulled-out position of the crown 3, it can continue to display the switched information unless the pulled-out position of the crown 3 is changed. In addition, because the user can see that the crown 3 is pulled out, they can correctly recognize that the second small hand 72 is displaying the switched information.

[0061] In the third and fourth embodiments, the third control mode of the second embodiment, that is, control for performing warning hand movement of the second hand 63 etc. may be set. The indicator hand is not limited to the second small hand 72. For example, the second small hand 72 may be used as a small second hand, the indicator hand may be configured as a center hand, and the first and second scales may be set on the outer periphery of the dial 5. In addition, in the fourth embodiment, which has two types of second scales 761-764, 791-793 for battery remaining capacity and illuminance as second information 760D, the day display, illuminance display, and battery remaining capacity display are switched depending on the state of the watch. However, if the user performs a predetermined operation, such as pressing and holding button 4B for a predetermined period of time or longer and then releasing it, the watch may be set to an operating mode in which only the day display and battery remaining capacity display are switched to and the illuminance display is not performed, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, when the crown 3 is in the zero position, the operation mode is one in which the day display, illuminance display, and battery remaining capacity display are switched; when the crown 3 is pulled out to the first position, the operation mode is one in which the day display and battery remaining capacity are switched; and when the crown 3 is pulled out to the second position, the operation mode is one in which the day display and illuminance are switched.

[0062] In each of the above embodiments, the secondary battery 17 is charged by the solar panel 15, but the secondary battery 17 may also be charged by a power generation device that generates electricity using an oscillating weight, or by externally supplying power via electromagnetic induction or the like. The battery is not limited to a secondary battery, and a primary battery may also be used, and the second small hand 72 may indicate a low battery level to notify the user that it is time to replace the battery. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the control device 20, which is a detection unit, detects the remaining battery level and illuminance as the status of the watch and displays these as the second information. However, it may also be possible to detect the reception result, reception type, daylight saving time setting information, airplane mode setting information, etc. as the status of the watch and display the reception result, reception type, daylight saving time setting information, airplane mode, etc. as the second information based on these detection results. For example, if the reception result is successful, the indicator hands may display the day of the week as the first information, and if the reception result is unsuccessful, the indicator hands may display the reception result as the second information. Furthermore, if airplane mode is not set as the status of the watch, the indicator hands may display the day of the week as the first information, and if airplane mode is set, the indicator hands may display the airplane mode as the second information. The setting for airplane mode is manually switched by the user, but if the electronic watch has a barometric pressure sensor that can measure altitude, the indicator hand may display the first information, the day of the week, first if the altitude is below a predetermined value, and if the altitude is above the predetermined value, the indicator hand may display the second information, airplane mode, first.

[0063] The signals received by the receiving device 12 are not limited to satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites, which are positioning information satellites. For example, the satellite signals may be signals transmitted from satellites used in other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), such as Galileo (EU), GLONASS (Russia), and Beidou (China). Furthermore, the satellite signals may be satellite signals transmitted from geostationary satellites such as a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) or a regional navigation satellite system (RNSS) that can be searched only in a specific region, such as a quasi-zenith satellite. Furthermore, in addition to satellite signals, other radio waves, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Near Field Communication (NFC), and Low Power Wide Area (LPWA), may also be received. In each of the above embodiments, an electronic timepiece having a receiving device 12 has been described, but an electronic timepiece without a receiving device 12 may also be used. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the scales displayed in the second windows 72A, 72C, 72D each include at least a first scale and a second scale, and the other scales may be set according to the functions of the electronic watch 1. For example, an electronic watch that does not include the receiving device 12 does not need the scales 771 to 773 indicating the reception mode or the scale 786 indicating the in-flight mode, and an electronic watch that does not include a chronograph function does not need the scale 785 indicating the chronograph mode.

[0064] [summary] The electronic watch disclosed herein comprises an indicator hand that can select and point to one of a plurality of first scales that indicate first information and a plurality of second scales that indicate second information, a detection unit that detects the state of the watch, a control unit that controls the position of the indicator hand, and an operation unit that performs display switching operations, wherein the control unit automatically switches between a first control mode that prioritizes indicating the first information and a second control mode that prioritizes indicating the second information depending on the detection results of the detection unit, and in the first control mode, when the display switching operation is performed with the operation unit, moves the indicator hand from a position that indicates the first information to a position that indicates the second information, and in the second control mode, when the display switching operation is performed with the operation unit, moves the indicator hand from a position that indicates the second information to a position that indicates the first information. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the first information or the second information is displayed preferentially depending on the state of the timepiece detected by the detection unit, so that high-priority information can be automatically provided to the user depending on the situation. Also, when a display switching operation is performed on the operation unit, the displayed information can be switched, so that low-priority information can also be displayed depending on the user's operation, improving convenience.

[0065] In the electronic watch disclosed herein, it is preferable that the watch is equipped with a secondary battery, the detection unit detects the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery, the second information is information indicating the level of the remaining battery charge, and the control unit executes the first control mode when the remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and executes the second control mode when the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, when the remaining battery power of the secondary battery becomes low, the indicator hand can automatically display second information indicating the remaining battery power level. This allows the user to be notified of high-priority information that the remaining battery power of the secondary battery is low and that charging is required. This allows the user of the electronic timepiece to charge the secondary battery and prevents the control unit, which is made up of a timepiece IC, from shutting down due to a drop in the secondary battery's voltage.

[0066] In the electronic timepiece disclosed herein, the electronic timepiece is provided with time display hands consisting of multiple hands that display the time, and the control unit executes a third control mode in which, when the remaining battery charge is less than a second predetermined value that is lower than the predetermined value, at least one of the time display hands displays a warning movement that differs from normal movement, and in the third control mode, it is preferable that the indicator hand indicates the second information and continues to indicate the second information even when the display switching operation is performed on the operating unit. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery falls below a second predetermined value that is even lower than the predetermined value, the third control mode is executed, the indicator hands display the second information, which is the remaining battery charge, and at least one of the time display hands is set to warning movement, so the user can more easily understand that the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery is low. Furthermore, in the third control mode, even if a display switching operation is performed, the indicator hands continue to point to the second information, so that the remaining battery charge can continue to be displayed, and the warning movement of the hands and the display of low battery charge continue, so the user can be reliably notified of the low battery voltage situation.

[0067] In the electronic watch disclosed herein, it is preferable that the watch is equipped with a solar panel, the detection unit detects the illuminance of light irradiated onto the solar panel, the second information is information indicating the level of the illuminance, and the control unit executes the first control mode when the illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and executes the second control mode when the illuminance is less than the predetermined value. The electronic watch disclosed herein detects the illuminance of light shining on the solar panel that charges the secondary battery, and if the illuminance is high, at or above a predetermined value, executes a first control mode that displays first information because the solar panel is generating electricity and charging the secondary battery, and if the illuminance is low, at or below the predetermined value, displays second information indicating an illuminance level to let the user know that they are in a location that is unsuitable for charging the secondary battery. This allows the user of the electronic watch to charge the secondary battery by moving to a location where light can shine on the solar panel and charging is possible, and prevents the control unit composed of a watch IC from shutting down due to a drop in secondary battery voltage.

[0068] In the electronic watch disclosed herein, it is preferable that the watch is equipped with a secondary battery and a solar panel, the detection unit detects the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery and the illuminance of light irradiated onto the solar panel, the second information is information indicating the respective levels of the remaining battery charge and the illuminance, and the control unit indicates the first information with the indicator hand when the remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, indicates the level of illuminance in the second information with the indicator hand when the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value and the illuminance is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and indicates the level of the remaining battery charge in the second information with the indicator hand when the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value and the illuminance is less than the predetermined value. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the indicator hand displays first information, thereby notifying the user that there is no need to charge the secondary battery. Furthermore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery is less than a predetermined value and the illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the indicator hand displays illuminance, thereby notifying the user that the secondary battery can be charged using power generated by the solar panel, and the user can simply continue generating power using the solar panel to charge the secondary battery. Furthermore, when the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery is less than a predetermined value and the illuminance is less than a predetermined value, the user is notified that the location is unsuitable for generating power using the solar panel and the secondary battery cannot be charged. This allows the user to recognize that they need to move to a location with high illuminance, such as outdoors. Once they move to a location with high illuminance, the indicator hand switches to displaying illuminance, allowing the secondary battery to be charged.

[0069] In the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the operation unit may have a button, and the display switching operation may be an operation of pressing and releasing the button. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the process of switching between displaying the first information and the second information using the indicator hand can be performed simply and quickly by pressing and releasing a button.

[0070] In the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the control unit may be configured to return to the original control mode after a certain period of time has elapsed since the control mode was switched by the display switching operation. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, after switching the display by operating a button, it is possible to automatically return to the original control mode in which high-priority information is displayed without the user having to operate a button again.

[0071] In the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the operating unit may have a crown, and the display switching operation may involve pulling out the crown to a predetermined position. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the display that was switched by pulling out the crown can be maintained until the crown is returned to its original position. Furthermore, because the user can be sure that the crown is in the pulled-out position, they can accurately recognize that the information currently being displayed by the indicator hand has been switched from the information that was preferentially displayed.

[0072] In the electronic timepiece disclosed herein, it is preferable that the electronic timepiece is provided with a plurality of hands for displaying the time, which are positioned at the center of the dial, the indicator hand is a small hand that is positioned at a position different from the center of the dial, and the position of the first scale is positioned closer to the outer periphery of the dial than the position of the second scale. According to the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, the indicator hand is configured as a small hand, and the first scale indicated by this small hand is positioned closer to the outer periphery of the dial than the second scale, making the first scale easier to see. Therefore, by making the first information the information displayed during normal use of the electronic timepiece, the user can easily check the first information, improving convenience.

[0073] In the electronic timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the first area in which the first scale is displayed and the second area in which the second scale is displayed are adjacent to each other. According to the electronic watch of the present disclosure, the first area in which the first scale of the first information is displayed and the second area in which the second scale of the second information is displayed are arranged adjacent to each other, so that the distance that the indicator hand moves when switching the display can be shortened and the display can be switched in a short time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...electronic timepiece, 3...crown, 4A...button, 4B...button, 5...dial, 10...movement, 11...input device, 15...solar panel, 17...secondary battery, 20...control device, 25...display time control section, 26...indicator control section, 27...chronograph control section, 28...detection section, 30...drive mechanism, 40...display device, 72...second small hand, 72A...second small window, 72C...second 2 small windows, 72D...second small window, 720...scale area, 720A...first area, 720B...second area, 750...first information, 751...first scale, 754...first scale, 760...second information, 760C...second information, 760D...second information, 761...second scale, 762...second scale, 763...second scale, 764...second scale, 791...second scale, 792...second scale, 793...second scale.

Claims

1. an indicator hand capable of selecting and pointing to one of a plurality of first scales indicating first information and a plurality of second scales indicating second information; a detection unit for detecting the state of the clock; a control unit that controls the position indicated by the indicator hand; an operation unit for performing a display switching operation, The control unit automatically switching between a first control mode in which the first information is preferentially indicated and a second control mode in which the second information is preferentially indicated according to a detection result of the detection unit, In the first control mode, when the display switching operation is performed by the operation unit, the indicator hand is moved from a position indicating the first information to a position indicating the second information, In the second control mode, when the display switching operation is performed with the operation unit, the indicator hand is moved from a position indicating the second information to a position indicating the first information. An electronic watch characterized by:

2. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, Equipped with a secondary battery, the detection unit detects a remaining battery charge of the secondary battery; the second information is information indicating a level of the remaining battery charge, The control unit When the remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first control mode is executed. When the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value, the second control mode is executed. An electronic watch characterized by:

3. 3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, It has time display hands consisting of multiple pointers that display the time, The control unit When the remaining battery charge is less than a second predetermined value that is lower than the predetermined value, a third control mode is executed in which at least one of the time display hands is moved in a warning manner different from normal movement; In the third control mode, the indicator hand indicates the second information, and continues to indicate the second information even when the display switching operation is performed by the operation unit. An electronic watch characterized by:

4. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, Equipped with solar panels, the detection unit detects the illuminance of light irradiated onto the solar panel; the second information is information indicating the level of the illuminance, The control unit When the illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first control mode is executed; When the illuminance is less than the predetermined value, the second control mode is executed. An electronic watch characterized by:

5. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, Equipped with a secondary battery and solar panel, the detection unit detects the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery and the illuminance of light irradiated onto the solar panel; the second information is information indicating each level of the remaining battery charge and the illuminance, The control unit When the remaining battery charge is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the indicator hand indicates the first information; When the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value and the illuminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the indicator hand indicates the illuminance level of the second information; When the remaining battery charge is less than the predetermined value and the illuminance is less than the predetermined value, the level of the remaining battery charge among the second information is indicated by the indicator hand. An electronic watch characterized by:

6. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, the operation unit has a button, The display switching operation is an operation of pressing and releasing the button. An electronic watch characterized by:

7. 7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 6, The control unit returns the control mode to the original control mode after a certain time has elapsed since the control mode was switched by the display switching operation. An electronic watch characterized by:

8. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, the operating unit has a crown, The display switching operation is performed by pulling out the crown to a predetermined position. An electronic watch characterized by:

9. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, It has multiple hands for displaying time, which are located in the center of the dial. the indicator hand is a small hand that is disposed at a position different from the center of the dial, The position of the first scale is located on the outer periphery side of the dial relative to the position of the second scale. An electronic watch characterized by:

10. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, The first area in which the first scale is displayed and the second area in which the second scale is displayed are provided adjacent to each other. An electronic watch characterized by:

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Electronic watch

    JP2017161551A