Electronic timepiece, method for controlling the same, and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic timepiece, a method for controlling the same, and a program that are capable of extending a battery life with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An electronic timepiece includes: a tilt switch that is mounted in a predetermined position; and a control unit that changes an operation mode of the electronic timepiece, based on a duration for which there is no change in an output signal of the tilt switch, from a normal mode to a first power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode. A method for controlling the electronic timepiece including the tilt switch mounted in the predetermined position includes: changing the operation mode of the electronic timepiece, based on a duration for which there is no change in the output signal of the tilt switch, from the normal mode to the first power-saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece, a control method for an electronic timepiece, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in electronic timepieces such as small wristwatches with limited battery capacity, there is known a technique for extending battery life by switching to a power-saving mode when certain conditions are met. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for switching to a power-saving mode in an electronic timepiece equipped with a solar cell depending on the power generation status of the solar cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-6436 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that it can only be applied to watches equipped with solar cells.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic timepiece that can extend battery life even with a simple configuration, and a control method and program for the electronic timepiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the electronic timepiece according to the present invention comprises: a tilt switch implemented in a predetermined configuration; The device is equipped with a control unit that transitions the operating mode of the device from a normal mode to a first power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode, based on the duration of time during which the output signal of the tilt switch remains unchanged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to extend the battery life even with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electronic timepiece and a smartphone. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display unit of an electronic timepiece. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a tilt switch. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a tilt switch. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the display unit of the electronic timepiece operating in a first power saving mode. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a clock control process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a process of transitioning to a first power saving mode. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a process of transitioning to a second power saving mode. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a return process. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display unit when the electronic timepiece is an analog timepiece. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the arrangement direction of the tilt switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic watch 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 101 and two bands 102 attached to the housing 101. The electronic watch 1 is a wristwatch worn by the user by wrapping the band 102 around the wrist. The housing 101 houses a display unit 20, a circuit board 103 (see FIG. 4), and other components, and is provided on its side with operation buttons 31 and a crown 32 for accepting user operations. The opening of the housing 101 facing the display surface of the display unit 20 is sealed with a transparent crystal. In this specification, the wearing position of the electronic watch 1 is indicated by the position of the housing 101 when the electronic watch 1 is worn. In FIG. 1, the electronic watch 1 is worn on the back of the hand. The electronic watch 1 is capable of data communication with a smartphone 2 (external device) via short-range wireless communication. In this embodiment, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) is used as the short-range wireless communication. However, communication methods other than BLE may also be used.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 20 of the electronic timepiece 1 includes an analog display unit 21 that displays time in an analog format using an hour hand 211, a minute hand 212, and a second hand 213, and a digital display unit 22 that displays information in a digital format using a liquid crystal display panel 221. In FIG. 2, the digital display unit 22 displays the date and day of the week, but the information displayed by the digital display unit 22 is not limited to this. Hereinafter, the hour hand 211, the minute hand 212, and the second hand 213 will be collectively referred to as "hands 211-213." Furthermore, the 3 o'clock direction in a plane parallel to the display surface (dial) of the analog display unit 21 will be referred to as the X direction, and the 12 o'clock direction will be referred to as the Y direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions and extending from the rear side to the front side of the electronic timepiece 1 will be referred to as the Z direction. Furthermore, the direction from the position of the hour character representing 6 o'clock on the analog display unit 21 as the starting point toward the position of the hour character representing 12 o'clock (the direction from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock) will be referred to as "orientation D1." 2, direction D1 is parallel to the Y direction. When the XY coordinate plane (dial) is parallel to the horizontal plane, the electronic timepiece 1 is said to be in a horizontal state.

[0011] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic watch 1. The electronic watch 1 includes a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit) (control unit, control means), a RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, a display unit 20, an operation unit 30, a timing unit 40, a communication unit 50, an alarm unit 60, a tilt switch 70, a sensor unit 80, and a primary battery 90. Each unit of the electronic watch 1 is connected via a communication path such as a bus, and operates using power supplied from the primary battery 90.

[0012] The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the operation of the electronic watch 1 by reading and executing the program 131 stored in the storage unit 13 and performing various arithmetic processing. The electronic watch 1 may have multiple processors (e.g., multiple CPUs), and the multiple processes performed by the CPU 11 of this embodiment may be executed by these multiple processors. In this case, the control unit is made up of the multiple processors. In this case, the multiple processors may be involved in a common process, or the multiple processors may independently execute different processes in parallel. The RAM 12 provides working memory space for the CPU 11 and stores temporary data.

[0013] The storage unit 13 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 11 as a computer, and stores the program 131 and various data. The storage unit 13 has a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The program 131 is stored in the storage unit 13 in the form of a computer-readable program code. The data stored in the storage unit 13 includes various setting data referenced by the CPU 11 when the program 131 is executed.

[0014] The analog display unit 21 of the display unit 20 includes a gear train mechanism 214 which is a gear train connected to the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 212, a gear train mechanism 215 which is a gear train connected to the second hand 213, stepping motors 216 and 217 which rotate the gear train mechanisms 214 and 215, respectively, and a motor drive circuit 218 which drives the stepping motors 216 and 217. The hour hand 211 and the minute hand 212 rotate by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping movement of the stepping motor 216 transmitted via the gear train mechanism 214. In other words, the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 212 rotate in conjunction with each other in response to the stepping movement of the stepping motor 216. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a gear train mechanism and stepping motor corresponding to each of the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 212 may be provided so that the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 212 rotate independently. Second hand 213 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping operation of stepping motor 217 transmitted via gear train mechanism 215. Second hand 213 is connected to gear train mechanism 215 and stepping motor 217 that are separate from gear train mechanism 214 and stepping motor 216 that are connected to hour hand 211 and minute hand 212, and therefore can rotate independently of hour hand 211 and minute hand 212.

[0015] The stepping motors 216, 217 are each step-driven based on the voltage waveform of a drive pulse input from a motor drive circuit 218, and rotate the hands 211 to 213 in the forward direction (the direction in which time advances) or the reverse direction (the direction in which time goes backward) by the above-mentioned predetermined rotation angle. The motor drive circuit 218 outputs drive voltage pulses with appropriate timing and pulse width to drive the stepping motors 216, 217 to perform stepwise operation in accordance with a control signal input from the CPU 11.

[0016] The digital display unit 22 includes a liquid crystal display panel 221 and a dynamic drive circuit 222 and a static drive circuit 223 that drive the liquid crystal display panel 221. The static drive circuit 223 displays a power-saving mark M (see FIG. 6) by a static drive method in a static display region R of the display region of the liquid crystal display panel 221 shown in FIG. 2. The dynamic drive circuit 222 displays information such as the date, day of the week, and time by a dynamic drive method (duty drive method) in the region of the display region of the liquid crystal display panel 221 excluding the static display region R. While FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration in which the dynamic drive circuit 222 displays numbers or letters using a 7-segment method, this is not limiting and a dot matrix method may be used in which any numbers or letters are displayed by combining a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. In this embodiment, the power consumed per unit time by the static drive circuit 223 to display the power-saving mark M is significantly less than the power consumed per unit time by the dynamic drive circuit 222 to display information such as the date and day of the week. The dynamic drive circuit 222 and the static drive circuit 223 operate independently of each other in accordance with control signals sent from the CPU 11. Therefore, it is possible to control the dynamic drive circuit 222 to stop operating and have the static drive circuit 223 only display the power saving mark M, thereby reducing the power consumption of the digital display unit 22.

[0017] The operation unit 30 has operation means such as the operation button 31 and the crown 32 shown in FIG.

[0018] The timekeeping unit 40 includes an oscillation circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, a timekeeping circuit, etc. The frequency dividing circuit divides the clock signal generated by the oscillation circuit, and the timekeeping circuit counts the divided signal, thereby counting and holding the current date and time.

[0019] The communication unit 50 is a communication module having an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc. The communication unit 50 performs wireless data communication with the smartphone 2 in accordance with the BLE communication standard.

[0020] The notification unit 60 includes a speaker and outputs a predetermined notification sound at a timing according to a control signal transmitted from the CPU 11. Note that the method of notification by the notification unit 60 is not limited to outputting the notification sound from a speaker. For example, the notification unit 60 may include a light-emitting unit and may be able to notify by emitting light from the light-emitting unit. Furthermore, the notification unit 60 may include a vibrator (vibration unit) and may be able to notify by vibration of the vibrator.

[0021] The tilt switch 70 is a switching element that switches on and off depending on the tilt position of the housing 101 of the electronic timepiece 1. Figures 4 and 5 show the configuration of the tilt switch 70. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the bottom (near 6 o'clock) of the circuit board 103 inside the housing 101, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tilt switch 70 as viewed from the +X direction. However, the mounting position of the tilt switch 70 is not limited to near 6 o'clock. The tilt switch 70 is mounted in a predetermined configuration on the circuit board 103. The tilt switch 70 includes a metal ball 71, a passage 72, and a pair of contacts 73. The metal ball 71 is a spherical, conductive, movable body. The passage 72 is arranged so that the metal ball 71 can move only in one direction in response to gravity. The passage 72 has one end 721 and the other end 722 in the one direction. A pair of contacts 73 is provided at one end 721 of the passage. When the metal ball 71 moves to one end 721 of the passage 72, the metal ball 71 comes into contact with a pair of contacts 73, establishing electrical continuity between the contacts 73 via the metal ball 71. The tilt switch 70 outputs a predetermined output signal to the CPU 11 when electrical continuity between the pair of contacts 73 occurs via the metal ball 71. Furthermore, when the metal ball 71 moves away from the pair of contacts 73, establishing electrical continuity between the contacts 73, the tilt switch 70 no longer outputs an output signal. Hereinafter, the state in which the metal ball 71 is in contact with the pair of contacts 73 and electrical continuity between the contacts 73 will be referred to as the "on state," and the state in which the metal ball 71 is not in contact with the pair of contacts 73 and electrical continuity between the contacts 73 will be referred to as the "off state."

[0022] The tilt switch 70 is mounted in a predetermined manner so that the direction D2 from the other end 722 to the one end 721 is the same as the direction D1 from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the electronic timepiece 1 when viewed from the +Z direction. In other words, the direction of direction D2 projected onto the XY plane coincides with the Y direction. From another perspective, the tilt switch 70 is mounted in a predetermined manner so that, when the electronic timepiece 1 is worn on the back of the hand as shown in FIG. 1, the one end 721 is closer to the little finger than the other end 722. Hereinafter, the orientation of the tilt switch 70 will be represented by the direction of the arrow indicating direction D2 among the directions from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the electronic timepiece 1. The orientation of the tilt switch 70 shown in FIG. 4 is the 12 o'clock direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, direction D2 (i.e., the extension direction of passage 72) is inclined with respect to the XY plane parallel to the dial so that the 12 o'clock side is higher than the 6 o'clock side. Hereinafter, the angle between direction D2 and the XY plane is referred to as θ. When the electronic timepiece 1 is in a horizontal position, as shown in FIG. 5, direction D2 is inclined upward by angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane. Thus, if the tilt switch 70 is mounted so that direction D2 is inclined with respect to the XY plane and its orientation is the 12 o'clock direction, the tilt switch 70 will be in the ON state when the electronic timepiece 1 is tilted in a tilted position in which the 12 o'clock side of the electronic timepiece 1 is lower than the 6 o'clock side. Specifically, when the electronic timepiece 1 is tilted so that the 12 o'clock side of the dial is lower at an angle greater than angle θ with respect to the 6 o'clock side, direction D2 is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal plane (so that it has a vertically downward component). Therefore, the metal ball 71 moves toward one end 721 of the passage 72 and contacts the contact 73, resulting in the ON state. When the direction D2 returns to a state in which it is tilted upward relative to the horizontal plane (for example, when the electronic timepiece 1 returns to a horizontal state), the metal ball 71 moves away from the contact 73 and the state becomes OFF.

[0024] The sensor unit 80 includes a motion sensor 81 and a pressure sensor 82. The motion sensor 81 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis angular velocity sensor, and detects the acceleration and angular velocity occurring in the electronic timepiece 1 in response to the user's movements. The CPU 11 counts the number of steps taken by the user while walking or running, based on the periodic changes in the acceleration and angular velocity detected by the motion sensor 81. The pressure sensor 82 is, for example, a semiconductor pressure sensor that uses the piezo-resistance effect, and detects the magnitude of air pressure. The CPU 11 calculates altitude based on the detection results from the pressure sensor 82.

[0025] The primary battery 90 is, for example, a button battery. The electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment is equipped with only the primary battery 90 as a power source, and does not include a solar cell or a rechargeable secondary battery.

[0026] Next, we will explain the operation of the electronic watch 1. The electronic watch 1 of this embodiment can switch its operating mode between a normal mode and a power-saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode. Furthermore, the power-saving mode has a first power-saving mode and a second power-saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the first power-saving mode.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the display unit 20 of the electronic watch 1 operating in normal mode. In normal mode, the CPU 11 displays the time (hour, minute, and second) using the hands 211-213 of the analog display unit 21, and displays predetermined information such as the date and day of the week using the digital display unit 22. The CPU 11 also receives time information from the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 at predetermined times four times a day and corrects the time measured by the timing unit 40. The CPU 11 also transmits sensing information, such as the number of steps, atmospheric pressure, and altitude calculated based on detection data from the sensor unit 80, to the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 at predetermined times. In this way, the electronic watch 1 can operate in cooperation with the smartphone 2 by transmitting and receiving data to and from the smartphone 2. Hereinafter, the reception of data from the smartphone 2 and the transmission of data to the smartphone 2 will be collectively referred to as "cooperative transmission and reception."

[0028] When a predetermined first transition condition is met in normal mode, the CPU 11 transitions the electronic timepiece 1 from normal mode to a first power saving mode. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the display unit 20 of the electronic timepiece 1 operating in the first power saving mode. In the first power saving mode, the CPU 11 stops the second hand 213. The CPU 11 also stops the display of information such as the date and day of the week by the dynamic drive circuit 222 of the digital display unit 22. The CPU 11 also causes the static drive circuit 223 to blink a power saving mark M in the static display area R of the digital display unit 22. The blinking cycle may be, for example, about 0.5 to 1 second. In FIG. 6, the power saving mark M is shown as the letters "PS," but is not limited to this and may be a predetermined symbol, graphic, or the like. In this way, by stopping the second hand 213 and halting display by the dynamic drive circuit 222 of the digital display unit 22, the power consumption per unit time of the electronic watch 1 in the first power saving mode can be reduced below the power consumption per unit time in the normal mode.

[0029] In the first power saving mode, the CPU 11 performs cooperative transmission and reception with the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 at predetermined timings (at predetermined time intervals), just as in the normal mode. This allows accurate time information to be acquired from the smartphone 2 even in the first power saving mode. It also makes it possible to transmit sensing information (number of steps, air pressure, altitude, etc.) based on data acquired by the sensor unit 80 during the day to the smartphone 2 at night (during the first power saving mode). Note that, as will be described later, since the electronic timepiece 1 is stationary while the first power saving mode is active, the process of counting the number of steps is not necessarily performed.

[0030] The first transition condition is met when the duration of time during which the electronic watch 1 remains stationary reaches or exceeds a predetermined first reference time during a time period from a predetermined judgment start time to a predetermined judgment end time. In this embodiment, the judgment start time is set to 10:00 p.m. and the judgment end time is set to 6:00 a.m. As a result, if the electronic watch 1 remains stationary for the first reference time or longer during the nighttime hours when the user normally does not use the electronic watch 1, the electronic watch 1 is considered to be in an unworn state and transitions to the first power saving mode. An example of a state in which the electronic watch 1 is in a stationary state is when the unworn electronic watch 1 is placed on a desk or in a drawer.

[0031] Whether the electronic timepiece 1 is stationary is determined based on the output signal from the tilt switch 70. When the electronic timepiece 1 is stationary, the tilt switch 70 remains either on or off, and the output signal from the tilt switch 70 does not change. In other words, the tilt switch 70 does not change between on and off states. Therefore, the duration of the state in which the output signal from the tilt switch 70 remains unchanged (i.e., no change to the on or off state) can be defined as the stationary duration. In this way, by transitioning to the first power saving mode based solely on the duration of the state in which the output signal from the tilt switch 70 remains unchanged, the life of the primary battery 90 can be extended even with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the electronic timepiece 1 can transition to the first power saving mode at an appropriate time regardless of the brightness of the environment surrounding the electronic timepiece 1, i.e., even if the electronic timepiece 1 does not have an illuminance sensor.

[0032] By arranging the tilt switch 70 in the 12 o'clock direction, the tilt switch 70 can be easily turned on and off by the natural movements of a user wearing the electronic timepiece 1 on the back of their hand. The tilt switch 70 is turned on when the user is in a tilted position in which the direction D2 is tilted vertically downward relative to the horizontal plane (i.e., the 12 o'clock side of the electronic timepiece 1 is lowered at an angle greater than angle θ relative to the 6 o'clock side). This is because, when the user's hands are forward of their torso, the electronic timepiece 1 is likely to be in this tilted position in a natural posture. For example, the tilt switch 70 is likely to be turned on during natural movements such as working on a computer, reading a book, or folding their arms. Furthermore, when the electronic timepiece 1 returns to a horizontal position and the direction D2 is tilted upward, the tilt switch 70 is turned off. Therefore, by arranging the tilt switch 70 in the 12 o'clock direction, the tilt switch 70 can be easily turned on and off while the user is wearing the electronic timepiece 1.

[0033] If tilt switch 70 is positioned at 6 o'clock, tilt switch 70 will only turn on during special actions such as bringing the back of your hand in front of your face to check the time on electronic watch 1, and will be less likely to turn on during other actions and more likely to remain in the off state. For this reason, if tilt switch 70 is mounted at 6 o'clock, even when electronic watch 1 is being worn, tilt switch 70 will remain in the off state and the output signal from tilt switch 70 will likely remain unchanged, leading to an erroneous determination that electronic watch 1 is stationary.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first reference time used to determine whether the first transition condition is met is set to 150 minutes. Therefore, if the electronic timepiece 1 is stationary at 10:00 PM and remains stationary thereafter, the first transition condition is met 150 minutes after 10:00 PM, i.e., at 12:30 AM, and the electronic timepiece transitions to the first power-saving mode. Specifically, the CPU 11 transitions to the first power-saving mode when, after 10:00 PM, the CPU 11 counts 16 ten-minute carries (including the count at exactly 10:00 PM) without any change in the output signal from the tilt switch 70. Here, the ten-minute carry is counted at 0:00 PM every hour and every ten minutes thereafter. That is, the ten-minute carry occurs when the minutes and seconds are switched to "0:00 PM." Specifically, the 10-minute carry occurs at the timing when the time changes from 9 minutes 59 seconds to 10 minutes 00 seconds, when the time changes from 19 minutes 59 seconds to 20 minutes 00 seconds, when the time changes from 29 minutes 59 seconds to 30 minutes 00 seconds, when the time changes from 39 minutes 59 seconds to 40 minutes 00 seconds, when the time changes from 49 minutes 59 seconds to 50 minutes 00 seconds, and when the time changes from 59 minutes 59 seconds to 00 minutes 00 seconds. For example, if there is a change in the output signal of the tilt switch 70 at 11:15:45 PM, the first count (10-minute carry) is performed at 11:20:00 PM, and the 16th count (10-minute carry) is performed at 1:50:00 AM the following day. In this way, at the timing of the 16th count when the watch transitions to the first power saving mode, the second hand 213 is always at the 12 o'clock position, which indicates 0 seconds, so in the first power saving mode, the second hand 213 stops at the 12 o'clock position. This makes it easy for the user to recognize that the watch is in the first power saving mode.

[0035] The first reference time is not limited to 150 minutes. The shorter the first reference time, the earlier the transition to the first power saving mode will occur, thereby extending the life of the primary battery 90. On the other hand, the longer the first reference time, the more likely it is that the electronic timepiece 1 will still be in normal mode when the user takes it off and looks at it before going to bed. The setting of the first reference time may be changed by the user.

[0036] Even if the electronic watch 1 is stationary at 10:00 PM, if the output signal from the tilt switch 70 subsequently changes, it is determined that the electronic watch 1 is not stationary, and the count of the stationary duration is reset. If the output signal from the tilt switch 70 does not change for 150 consecutive minutes or more after the reset (i.e., if 16 10-minute carries are counted without the output signal from the tilt switch 70 changing), the first transition condition is met at that timing, and the watch transitions to the first power-saving mode. Furthermore, the first determination condition is met when the stationary duration reaches the first reference time during the time period from the determination start time to the determination end time. Therefore, the stationary duration is not counted from 6:00 AM, which is the determination end time, until the next determination start time at 10:00 PM, and the watch does not transition from normal mode to the first power-saving mode.

[0037] The determination start time and determination end time are not limited to 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, respectively. The user may be allowed to change the settings of the determination start time and determination end time. In this way, for example, if a user works at night and goes to bed during the day, the determination start time and determination end time can be set to 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, respectively, so that the system will transition to the first power saving mode during the day when the user goes to bed.

[0038] After transitioning to the first power saving mode, if the electronic timepiece 1 is moved (for example, worn on the user's wrist) and the output signal from the tilt switch 70 changes, the CPU 11 transitions the electronic timepiece 1 from the first power saving mode to the normal mode. Note that the CPU 11 also transitions from the first power saving mode to the normal mode when any of the operation buttons 31 or the crown 32 is operated.

[0039] On the other hand, if a predetermined second transition condition is met while the first power saving mode is in progress, the CPU 11 transitions the electronic timepiece 1 from the first power saving mode to a second power saving mode, which reduces power consumption. The second transition condition is met when the first power saving mode continues for a predetermined second reference time or longer. In other words, the second transition condition is met when the period of inactivity, starting from the time of transition to the first power saving mode, reaches or exceeds the second reference time. In this embodiment, the second reference time is set to seven days. Therefore, if the user does not use the electronic timepiece 1 for seven days after transitioning to the first power saving mode, the electronic timepiece transitions to the second power saving mode. However, the second reference time is not limited to seven days. The second reference time may also be set so that it can be changed by the user.

[0040] In the second power saving mode, the CPU 11 stops all of the hands 211 to 213. The CPU 11 also switches the display of the power saving mark M by the static drive circuit 223 from flashing to lighting. That is, in the second power saving mode, the CPU 11 displays the power saving mark M on the digital display unit 22 in a manner different from that in the first power saving mode. Note that the display of information such as the date and day of the week by the dynamic drive circuit 222 of the digital display unit 22 remains suspended. Furthermore, in the second power saving mode, the CPU 11 stops the operation of the communication unit 50, the notification unit 60, and the sensor unit 80. Therefore, in the second power saving mode, cooperative transmission and reception with the smartphone 2, notification by the notification unit 60, and detection of acceleration, angular velocity, pressure, etc. by the sensor unit 80 are not performed. Note that the operation of the notification unit 60 and the sensor unit 80 may also be stopped in the first power saving mode.

[0041] After transitioning to the second power saving mode, if the electronic timepiece 1 is moved (for example, worn on the user's wrist) and the output signal from the tilt switch 70 changes, the CPU 11 transitions the electronic timepiece 1 from the second power saving mode to the normal mode. Note that the CPU 11 also transitions from the second power saving mode to the normal mode when any of the operation buttons 31 or the crown 32 is operated.

[0042] A simulation was performed to compare the lifespan of the primary battery 90 in an electronic watch as a comparative example that operates only in normal mode with the lifespan of the primary battery 90 when the first power saving mode is applied. Here, it was assumed that the watch operates in the first power saving mode for 4.5 hours each weekday, and operates in the first power saving mode all day on Saturdays and Sundays. The simulation results confirmed that the battery life of the electronic watch 1 in the first power saving mode can be extended by 10 months compared to the electronic watch as the comparative example.

[0043] Next, the clock control process executed by the CPU 11 to realize the above-described operations will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the clock control process. The clock control process starts when the electronic clock 1 is powered on. When the clock control process starts, the CPU 11 operates each unit of the electronic clock 1 in normal mode (step S101). That is, the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 218 to display the time using the hands 211 to 213, and sends a control signal to the dynamic drive circuit 222 to display information such as the date and day of the week on the digital display unit 22. The CPU 11 determines whether an operation to turn off the power has been performed (step S102). If it determines that such an operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S102), it determines whether it is the determination start time (10:00 p.m. in this embodiment) (step S103). If it determines that it is not the determination start time ("NO" in step S103), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S102.

[0044] If it is determined that it is the judgment start time ("YES" in step S103), the CPU 11 resets the stillness duration time and starts counting the stillness duration time (step S104). Specifically, the CPU 11 counts the number of 10-minute carries that have occurred since the start of step S104. The CPU 11 determines whether the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed (step S105). If it is determined that the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed ("YES" in step S105), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S104, resets the stillness duration time, and starts counting the stillness duration time again.

[0045] If the CPU 11 determines that the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has not changed ("NO" in step S105), the CPU 11 determines whether the stationary duration has reached a first reference time (step S106). In this embodiment, the first reference time is 150 minutes. Therefore, the CPU 11 determines that the stationary duration has reached the first reference time when 16 10-minute carries have been counted since the start of counting the stationary duration in step S104 (including any 10-minute carries at the start). If the CPU 11 determines that the stationary duration has not reached the first reference time ("NO" in step S106), the CPU 11 determines whether the determination end time (6:00 in this embodiment) has arrived (step S107). If the CPU 11 determines that the determination end time has not arrived ("NO" in step S107), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S105. If the CPU 11 determines that the determination end time has arrived ("YES" in step S107), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S102.

[0046] If it is determined that the stationary duration has reached the first reference time ("YES" in step S106), the CPU 11 determines that the first transition condition is met and executes a transition process to the first power saving mode (step S108). FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the transition process to the first power saving mode. When the transition process to the first power saving mode is called, the CPU 11 stops the operation of the dynamic drive circuit 222 of the digital display unit 22 and causes the dynamic drive circuit 222 to stop (turn off) displaying information such as the date and day of the week (step S201). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the static drive circuit 223 of the digital display unit 22 to start flashing the power saving mark M by the static drive circuit 223 (step S202). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 218 to stop the operation of the stepping motor 217, thereby stopping the rotation of the second hand 213 (step S203). When step S203 ends, the CPU 11 ends the process of transitioning to the first power saving mode and returns the process to the timepiece control process of Fig. 7. After this, the electronic timepiece 1 operates in the first power saving mode.

[0047] When step S108 in FIG. 7 is completed, the CPU 11 determines whether the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed (step S109). If it is determined that the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed ("YES" in step S109), the CPU 11 determines that the electronic timepiece 1 has been moved, such as by being worn, and executes a return process (described below) to return the electronic timepiece 1 from the first power-saving mode to the normal mode (step S113). When the return process is completed, the CPU 11 transitions the process to step S101, and operates the electronic timepiece 1 in the normal mode. If it is determined that the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has not changed ("NO" in step S109), the CPU 11 determines whether the first power-saving mode has continued for a second reference time (seven days in this embodiment) or more (step S110). If it is determined that the duration of the first power-saving mode is less than seven days ("NO" in step S110), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S109.

[0048] If it is determined that the first power saving mode has continued for more than the second reference time ("YES" in step S110), the CPU 11 determines that the second transition condition is met and executes a transition process to the second power saving mode (step S111). FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the transition process to the second power saving mode. When the transition process to the second power saving mode is called, the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the static drive circuit 223 of the digital display unit 22 to change the blinking display of the power saving mark M to a lit display (step S301). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 218 to stop the operation of the stepping motors 216 and 217, thereby stopping the rotation of all the hands 211 to 213 (step S302). The CPU 11 also stops the operation of the communication unit 50, the notification unit 60, and the sensor unit 80 (step S303). When step S303 ends, the CPU 11 ends the process of transitioning to the second power saving mode and returns the process to the timepiece control process of Fig. 7. After this, the electronic timepiece 1 operates in the second power saving mode.

[0049] After step S111 in FIG. 7 is completed, the CPU 11 repeatedly determines whether the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed (step S112). If it is determined that the output signal of the tilt switch 70 has changed ("YES" in step S112), the CPU 11 determines that the electronic timepiece 1 has been moved, for example by being worn, and executes a return process (described below) to return the electronic timepiece 1 from the second power-saving mode to the normal mode (step S113). After the return process is completed, the CPU 11 returns the process to step S101 and operates the electronic timepiece 1 in the normal mode. That is, the CPU 11 receives the latest time information from the smartphone 2 and returns the operation of the hands 211 to 213 to display the latest time. The CPU 11 also resumes the display of information such as the date and day of the week by the dynamic drive circuit 222 and ends the display of the power-saving mark M by the static drive circuit 223. In step S102, if it is determined that an operation to turn off the power has been performed ("YES" in step S102), the CPU 11 ends the clock control process.

[0050] 10 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the return process. When the return process starts, the CPU 11 determines whether the return is from the first power saving mode (step S401). If it is determined that the return is from the first power saving mode (YES in step S401), the CPU 11 resumes the operation of the second hand 213 so as to display the time based on the time information last received from the smartphone 2 (the latest time) (step S402). If it is determined that the return is not from the first power saving mode (i.e., the return is from the second power saving mode) (NO in step S401), the CPU 11 receives time information from the smartphone 2 (step S403) and resumes the operation of the hour hand 211, minute hand 212, and second hand 213 so as to display the time based on the received time information (step S404). When step S402 or S404 is completed, the CPU 11 causes the dynamic drive circuit 222 to resume displaying information such as the date and day of the week (step S405), and causes the static drive circuit 223 to end displaying the power saving mark M (step S406). When step S406 is completed, the CPU 11 ends the return process and returns the process to the clock control process of FIG.

[0051] As described above, the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment includes a tilt switch 70 implemented in a predetermined manner and a CPU 11. The CPU 11 transitions the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 from normal mode to a first power-saving mode, which consumes less power than normal mode, based on the duration of the state in which the output signal of the tilt switch 70 remains unchanged. This allows the electronic timepiece 1 to determine that it is not being used based on the absence of a change in the output signal of the tilt switch 70, and transition to the first power-saving mode when it is determined that the electronic timepiece 1 has not been used for a certain period of time. This allows the electronic timepiece 1 to transition to the first power-saving mode at an appropriate timing, even with a simple configuration using the tilt switch 70, without requiring any special user operation. Furthermore, compared to conventional methods that constantly operate an acceleration sensor or gyro sensor to determine that the electronic timepiece 1 is not being used, the timing for transitioning to the first power-saving mode can be determined with less power consumption. This effectively extends the battery life of an electronic timepiece 1 with a simple configuration.

[0052] The tilt switch 70 also has a passage 72 through which a metal ball 71, a movable, conductive body, can move. The passage 72 has one end 721 with a contact 73 that is electrically conductive when the metal ball 71 comes into contact with it, and another end 722 opposite the one end 721. The tilt switch 70 is implemented in a predetermined manner so that, when the electronic watch 1 is worn on the back of the hand, the one end 721 is closer to the little finger than the other end 722. Alternatively, the tilt switch 70 is implemented so that the direction D2 from the other end 722 to the one end 721 is the same as or forms an acute angle with the direction D1 from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the electronic watch. This makes it easier for the tilt switch 70 to switch to the on state through a natural movement of the user while wearing the electronic watch 1. This reduces the likelihood of the tilt switch 70 not switching between on and off (i.e., the output signal not changing) even when the user is wearing the electronic watch 1. This allows for appropriate determination of whether the electronic watch 1 is being used.

[0053] The electronic watch 1 also sets the determination start time and determination end time to 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, respectively, to coincide with the time periods when a user is likely to be asleep at night, and performs the determination process (steps S104, S105, and S106 in FIG. 7) of whether to execute the transition process to the first power saving mode only during the time period from the determination start time to the determination end time. In other words, the determination process of whether to execute the transition process to the first power saving mode is not performed during times other than the time period from the determination start time to the determination end time. This prevents the determination process of whether to execute the transition process to the first power saving mode during times when the user is likely to be wearing the electronic watch 1 and moving around, thereby effectively reducing consumption of the primary battery 90. On the other hand, by performing the determination process of whether to execute the transition process to the first power saving mode only during times when the user is likely to be taking the electronic watch 1 off, it is possible to effectively extend the battery life of an electronic watch 1 with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since the user can set the judgment start time and judgment end time, a user who goes to bed during the day can adjust the judgment start time and judgment end time to match the time zone when he or she is likely to go to bed, and therefore an electronic watch 1 that can effectively extend battery life with a simple configuration can be provided for a wide range of users.

[0054] Furthermore, the CPU 11 transitions the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 to a second power saving mode, which consumes less power than the first power saving mode, based on the duration of time that the tilt switch 70 remains in the on or off state during the first power saving mode. This makes it possible to further reduce power consumption and extend battery life when the user has not used the electronic timepiece 1 for an extended period of time.

[0055] The electronic watch 1 also has a digital display unit 22 that displays information digitally, and the CPU 11 causes the digital display unit 22 to display a power saving mark M in the first power saving mode, and causes the digital display unit 22 to display the power saving mark M in a different format from that in the first power saving mode in the second power saving mode. This allows the user to be visually informed that the electronic watch 1 is operating in the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode in an easily visibly understandable manner.

[0056] Furthermore, in the first power saving mode, the CPU 11 performs data communication with the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 at predetermined time intervals, and does not perform data communication with the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 in the second power saving mode. This allows, for example, time information to be received from the smartphone 2 during the first power saving mode, and the correct time to be displayed when returning to the normal mode. Furthermore, it is possible to perform operations such as transmitting information such as the number of steps, atmospheric pressure, and altitude based on data acquired by the sensor unit 80 during the day to the smartphone 2 during the first power saving mode. Furthermore, power consumption in the second power saving mode can be effectively reduced.

[0057] Furthermore, the CPU 11 transitions the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 to the first power saving mode based solely on the duration of no change in the output signal of the tilt switch 70. This allows the timing of transition to the first power saving mode to be appropriately determined through simple processing in an electronic timepiece 1 with a simple configuration.

[0058] The electronic timepiece 1 is powered only by a primary battery 90. By using the first power saving mode in this configuration, the battery life can be extended, delaying the need for battery replacement and reducing the hassle for the user.

[0059] Furthermore, the control method for the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment switches the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 from normal mode to a first power-saving mode, which consumes less power than normal mode, based on the duration of no change in the output signal of the tilt switch 70. This effectively extends the battery life of an electronic timepiece 1 with a simple configuration.

[0060] Furthermore, the program 131 according to this embodiment causes the CPU 11 as a computer to function as a control means, and the control means transitions the operating mode of the electronic timepiece 1 from normal mode to a first power-saving mode, which consumes less power than normal mode, based on the duration of no change in the output signal of the tilt switch 70. This effectively extends the battery life of an electronic timepiece 1 with a simple configuration.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For example, the above-described embodiment illustrates a so-called combination-type electronic timepiece 1 having an analog display unit 21 and a digital display unit 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. The electronic timepiece 1 may be an analog timepiece having an analog display unit 21 but not a digital display unit 22, or a digital timepiece having a digital display unit 22 but not an analog display unit 21. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the display unit 20 when the electronic timepiece 1 is an analog timepiece. The analog display unit 21 in FIG. 11 has a power-saving mark M at the 12 o'clock position instead of an hour character. This allows the second hand 213 to point to the power-saving mark M when stopped at the 12 o'clock position in the first power-saving mode and the second power-saving mode. Therefore, the power-saving mode can be indicated by the second hand 213. Alternatively, a function hand separate from the second hand 213 may be provided, and the function hand may point to the power-saving mark M in the first power-saving mode and the second power-saving mode. However, in the first power saving mode, the hour hand 211 and minute hand 212 display the correct time, so even if the power saving mark M is not provided, the user can recognize that the electronic timepiece 1 has not stopped due to a malfunction or the like. Therefore, the power saving mark M may be omitted in analog timepieces.

[0062] Furthermore, the orientation of the tilt switch 70 is not limited to the 12 o'clock direction. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the tilt switch 70 may be mounted so that the direction D2 from the other end 722 of the passage 72 to one end 721 forms an acute angle φ with the direction D1 from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the electronic timepiece 1. Even in a configuration in which the direction D2 and the direction D1 form an acute angle φ, the tilt switch 70 can be switched to the on state by a natural movement of the user.

[0063] The electronic timepiece 1 may also be worn with the casing 101 positioned on the palm side of the wrist (inside the wrist). In this wearing position, the 6 o'clock position is likely to be lower than the 12 o'clock position in a user's natural movements, making it difficult for a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is the same as orientation D1 when viewed from the +Z direction to be turned on. Therefore, to make it easier for the user to switch the tilt switch 70 on through a natural movement even in this wearing position, in addition to a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is the same as orientation D1 when viewed from the +Z direction, a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is the opposite orientation to orientation D1 when viewed from the +Z direction may be added. Alternatively, in addition to a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is the same as orientation D1 when viewed from the +Z direction, a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is oriented from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock when viewed from the +Z direction, and a tilt switch 70 mounted so that orientation D2 is oriented from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock when viewed from the +Z direction may be added.

[0064] Furthermore, the electronic watch 1 of this embodiment has a configuration that is very effective in extending the battery life of an electronic watch 1 that operates only on a primary battery 90, but it may also be equipped with a secondary battery in addition to the primary battery 90, or it may also be equipped with only a secondary battery.

[0065] Furthermore, for users who want to operate in the normal mode at all times, the device may be configured to be switchable between a setting that permits transition to the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode and a setting that prohibits transition.

[0066] In addition, instead of switching modes in three stages, namely, normal mode, first power saving mode, and second power saving mode, the second power saving mode may be omitted and mode switching may be performed in two stages, namely, normal mode and first power saving mode.

[0067] Although the embodiment in which time information is received from the smartphone 2 via the communication unit 50 has been exemplified, the method of receiving time information is not limited to this. For example, the timekeeping unit 40 may be configured to be able to receive standard radio waves, and the time measured by the timekeeping unit 40 may be corrected based on the information in the received standard radio waves. Alternatively, the time information may be obtained by receiving and decoding radio waves transmitted from positioning satellites of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0068] In the above description, an example has been given in which the flash memory of the storage unit 13 is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Furthermore, a carrier wave can also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0069] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each component of the electronic timepiece 1 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0070] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...electronic clock, 2...smartphone (external device), 13...storage unit, 21...analog display unit, 22...digital display unit, 70...tilt switch, 71...metal ball (movable body), 72...passage 73...contact, 721...one end, 722...other end, 90...primary battery, M...power saving mark (prescribed mark)

Claims

1. a tilt switch implemented in a predetermined configuration; An electronic watch comprising: a control unit that transitions the operating mode of the watch from a normal mode to a first power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode based on the duration of time during which the output signal of the tilt switch remains unchanged.

2. The tilt switch has a path through which a conductive movable body can move, the passage has one end provided with a contact that is brought into electrical conduction when the movable body comes into contact with the one end, and the other end opposite the one end, The tilt switch has the following predetermined configuration: The electronic timepiece is mounted so that, when worn on the back of the wrist, the one end is closer to the little finger of the hand than the other end, or The electronic timepiece is mounted so that the direction from the other end to the one end is the same as or forms an acute angle with the direction from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock of the electronic timepiece.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

3. The control unit determining whether or not to execute a process for transitioning to the first power saving mode during a time period from a predetermined determination start time to a predetermined determination end time; a determination as to whether or not to execute the process of transitioning to the first power saving mode is not performed during a time period other than the time period from the predetermined determination start time to the determination end time; 2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

4. The control unit and transitioning the operation mode of the electronic timepiece to a second power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the first power saving mode, based on the duration of the state in which the tilt switch remains unchanged in the on or off state during the first power saving mode.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

5. Equipped with a digital display unit that displays in digital format, The control unit In the first power saving mode, a predetermined mark is displayed on the digital display unit; In the second power saving mode, the predetermined mark is displayed on the digital display unit in a manner different from that in the first power saving mode.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 4.

6. The control unit In the first power saving mode, data communication is performed with an external device via a communication unit at predetermined time intervals; In the second power saving mode, data communication with the external device is not performed via the communication unit.

5. The electronic watch according to claim 4.

7. the control unit transitions the operation mode of the electronic timepiece to the first power saving mode based only on the duration.

7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1.

8. Equipped with only a primary battery as a power source, 7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1.

9. A method for controlling an electronic timepiece equipped with a tilt switch implemented in a predetermined manner, comprising: transitioning the operation mode of the device itself from a normal mode to a first power-saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode, based on the duration of a state in which the output signal of the tilt switch remains unchanged; How to control an electronic clock.

10. The computer of the electronic watch having the tilt switch mounted in a predetermined form is made to function as a control means; the control means transitions the operation mode of the device from a normal mode to a first power saving mode in which power consumption is reduced more than in the normal mode, based on the duration of a state in which the output signal of the tilt switch remains unchanged; program.

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