Electronic timepiece, control method of electronic timepiece and program

Abstract

To prevent an erroneous assumption of malfunction of an electronic timepiece.SOLUTION: An electronic timepiece includes: a second pointer; a number plate having a prescribed design; and a control part capable of switching between a primary mode configured to move the second pointer to display the second of a current time and a secondary mode configured to stop the movement of the second pointer. When switching from the primary mode to the secondary mode, the control part moves the second pointer to a prescribed location at which an appearance of the second pointer is integrated into the prescribed design of the number plate when viewed in a visual direction vertical to the number plate, and stops the second pointer at the prescribed location.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

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] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in electronic timepieces that display time in an analog manner using multiple hands, a technique for reducing power consumption by stopping the second hand is known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-006370 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, stopping the second hand can give the appearance that the entire electronic watch has stopped operating due to a dead battery or malfunction, which can easily lead to the mistaken belief that the electronic watch is not operating normally.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to make it less likely that an electronic timepiece will be mistakenly thought to be malfunctioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the electronic timepiece according to the present invention comprises: The second hand and a dial having a predetermined design; a control unit that can switch between a first mode in which the second hand is moved to display the seconds of the current time and a second mode in which the second hand is stopped; Equipped with When switching from the first mode to the second mode, the control unit moves the second hand to a predetermined position where the appearance of the second hand is integrated into the predetermined design of the dial when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial, and stops the second hand at the predetermined position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to make it less likely that the electronic timepiece will be mistakenly thought to be malfunctioning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an electronic timepiece. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the analog display unit in normal mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the analog display unit in power saving mode. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the analog display unit in normal mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the analog display unit in power saving mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the analog display unit in normal mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the analog display unit in power saving mode. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the analog display unit in normal mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the analog display unit in power saving mode. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of an operation mode control process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic timepiece according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the analog display unit and the digital display unit in the normal mode, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the analog display unit and the digital display unit in the power saving mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows the external appearance of an electronic timepiece 1. The electronic timepiece 1 comprises a housing 101 that houses an analog display unit 20 and a circuit board (not shown), and two bands 102 attached to the housing 101. The electronic timepiece 1 is a wristwatch that is worn on the user's wrist by wrapping the band 102 around the wrist. A number of operation buttons 31 are provided on the side of the housing 101 for receiving user operations.

[0010] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic watch 1. The electronic watch 1 comprises a CPU 11 (Central Processing Unit) (control unit, control means), a RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, an analog display unit 20, an operation unit 30, a timing unit 40, an illumination unit 50, and a communication unit 60. The various units of the electronic watch 1 are connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the analog display unit 20 has an hour hand 21, a minute hand 22, and a second hand 23. Hereinafter, the hour hand 21, the minute hand 22, and the second hand 23 will be collectively referred to as hands 21 to 23. The analog display unit 20 also has a dial 27 located on the back side of the hands 21 to 23. The dial 27 has hour characters corresponding to each hour (on the hour) from 1 to 12 o'clock, and multiple scales arranged at positions that divide the space between adjacent hour characters into five equal parts. The central part of the dial 27, excluding the hour characters and scales, is decorated with design D (a predetermined design). Design D of the dial 27 shown in FIG. 3(a) has multiple decorative lines 271 extending horizontally in a striped pattern.

[0014] 2, the analog display unit 20 further includes a wheel train mechanism 241, which is a gear train connected to the hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22, a wheel train mechanism 243, which is a gear train connected to the second hand 23, stepping motors 251 and 253 that rotate the wheel train mechanisms 241 and 243, respectively, and a motor drive circuit 26 that drives the stepping motors 251 and 253. The hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22 rotate by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping movement of the stepping motor 251 transmitted via the wheel train mechanism 241. In other words, the hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22 rotate in conjunction with each other in response to the stepping movement of the stepping motor 251. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a wheel train mechanism and stepping motor corresponding to each of the hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22 may be provided so that the hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22 rotate independently. Second hand 23 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping motion of stepping motor 253 transmitted via gear train mechanism 243. The rotation angle of second hand 23 corresponding to one second is 6 degrees, the rotation angle of minute hand 22 is 1 / 60 of the rotation angle of second hand 23, and the rotation angle of hour hand 21 is 1 / 12 of the rotation angle of the minute hand. Second hand 23 can rotate independently of hour hand 21 and minute hand 22 because it is connected to gear train mechanism 243 and stepping motor 253 that are separate from gear train mechanism 241 and stepping motor 251 connected to hour hand 21 and minute hand 22.

[0015] The stepping motors 251, 253 are each step-driven based on the voltage waveform of a drive pulse input from the motor drive circuit 26, rotating the hands 21-23 in the forward direction (the direction in which time advances) or the reverse direction (the direction in which time retreats) by the predetermined rotation angle described above. The stepping motors 251, 253 are driven by a drive pulse of 1 pps (pulse per second) while the time is being displayed. The stepping motors 251-253 can also be driven by drive pulses of up to several tens to several hundred pps in the forward and reverse directions, causing the hands 21-23 to rotate quickly forward or reverse. The motor drive circuit 26 outputs drive voltage pulses with appropriate timing and pulse width to drive the stepping motors 251, 253 to perform stepwise movement in response to a control signal input from the CPU 11.

[0016] The method of moving the hands 21 to 23 is not limited to step movement using the stepping motors 251 and 253, but may be sweep movement (continuous movement) using a sweep motor that rotates continuously at a constant speed.

[0017] The operation unit 30 has operation means such as the operation button 31 shown in FIG. 1 and a crown (not shown), and outputs to the CPU 11 an operation signal corresponding to an operation performed on the operation means.

[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 illumination unit 50 includes a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that irradiates the dial 27 with illumination light, and illuminates the dial 27 by causing the light source to emit light in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the CPU 11.

[0020] The communication unit 60 is a communication module including an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and performs wireless data communication with an external device according to a predetermined communication standard. The electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment is capable of data communication with an external device, such as a smartphone (not shown), via short-range wireless communication via the communication unit 60. 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.

[0021] Next, the operation of the electronic timepiece 1 will be described. The CPU 11 of the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment can switch the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 1 between a normal mode (first mode) and a power saving mode (second mode). The normal mode is an operation mode in which the hour hand 21, minute hand 22, and second hand 23 are moved to display the hours, minutes, and seconds of the current time, respectively. The power saving mode is an operation mode in which the movement of the second hand 23 is stopped, thereby reducing the power consumption of the electronic timepiece 1. In the power saving mode, the CPU 11 moves only the hour hand 21 and minute hand 22 of the hands 21 to 23 to display the hours and minutes of the current time, respectively. In the normal mode, the CPU 11 wakes up from a sleep state once per second and sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to move the second hand 23, and returns to the sleep state when the transmission ends. In contrast, in the power saving mode, the CPU 11 wakes up from the sleep state once per minute to send a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to move the minute hand 22 (and the hour hand 21), and returns to the sleep state when the transmission ends. Therefore, by switching to the power saving mode, the frequency at which the CPU 11 wakes up from the sleep state can be reduced to 1 / 60, thereby effectively reducing the power consumption of the CPU 11.

[0022] FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing the analog display unit 20 in power-saving mode. When switching from normal mode to power-saving mode, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to a camouflage position (predetermined position) where the appearance of the second hand 23 is integrated into the design D of the dial 27 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the dial 27 (hereinafter referred to as the viewing direction), and stops the second hand 23 at this camouflage position. The camouflage position in the electronic timepiece 1 shown in FIG. 3(b) is a position where the second hand 23 points toward the 3 o'clock or 9 o'clock direction. The thickness and color of each decorative line 271 included in the design D of the dial 27 are approximately the same as the thickness and color of the second hand 23. One of these decorative lines 271 passes through the center of the dial 27 and extends toward the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock directions. In FIG. 3(b), the second hand 23 is stopped in a camouflage position pointing toward the 9 o'clock direction, so that the second hand 23 blends in with (or is "hidden" or "blended in") the decorative line 271 that passes through its center. This allows the appearance of the second hand 23 to be integrated into the design D of the dial 27, making the second hand 23 less visible. Thus, the camouflage position is a position where the appearance of the second hand 23 as seen from the viewing direction when the second hand 23 is stopped in the camouflage position approximately matches the portion of the design D of the dial 27 that overlaps with the second hand 23 in the camouflage position as seen from the viewing direction. Here, "approximately matches" includes cases where the appearance is completely the same, as well as cases where the appearance is so similar that the user cannot distinguish between them. Therefore, the thickness and / or color of the decorative line 271 may be slightly different from the thickness and / or color of the second hand 23. By stopping the second hand 23 at the camouflage position in the power saving mode, the second hand 23 blends into the decorative line 271 and becomes difficult for the user to see, so the user perceives the second hand 23 as if it were not there (disappeared). In other words, the user is not made aware of the second hand 23, so even if the second hand 23 is stopped, the user is less likely to mistakenly think that "the electronic timepiece 1 is not operating normally."

[0023] When second hand 23 is in the camouflage position, the appearance of second hand 23 may be integrated into design D of dial 27 not only when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to dial 27, but also when viewed from a direction tilted to some extent relative to the direction perpendicular to dial 27. The distance between dial 27 and second hand 23 in the direction perpendicular to dial 27 may be made as small as possible so that the apparent positional relationship between dial 27 and second hand 23 does not change significantly when viewed from a direction tilted relative to the viewing direction. For example, of the hands 21 to 23, second hand 23 may be positioned closest to dial 27 (towards the back).

[0024] When a user performs a predetermined mode change operation while the watch is operating in the normal mode, the CPU 11 switches the operating mode from the normal mode to the power-saving mode. The mode change operation may be, for example, pressing one of the operation buttons 31 to which a mode change function is assigned. The mode change operation may also be an input operation to instruct a mode change on a smartphone. In this case, the CPU 11 determines that a mode change operation has been performed by receiving control data instructing a mode change from the smartphone via BLE communication. When switching from the normal mode to the power-saving mode in response to a mode change operation, it is preferable to fast-forward the second hand 23 to indicate to the user that the switch to the power-saving mode has been successfully performed. For this reason, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to the camouflage position at a speed faster than the speed of the second hand 23 in the normal mode and stops the second hand 23 at the camouflage position. For example, the CPU 11 fast-forwards the second hand 23 in the forward direction from the position shown in FIG. 3(a) to the camouflage position shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0025] When there are multiple camouflage positions, CPU 11 may move second hand 23 to one of the multiple camouflage positions that is closest to the position of second hand 23 at the time of switching from normal mode to power saving mode. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), when a mode change operation is performed at 10:08:27, the camouflage position closest to second hand 23 is the position pointing toward 3:00, so CPU 11 may fast forward second hand 23 in the reverse direction to move second hand 23 to the camouflage position pointing toward 3:00.

[0026] Furthermore, even if no mode change operation is performed, CPU 11 switches the operating mode from normal mode to power-saving mode if a mode change condition to switch to power-saving mode is met during operation in normal mode. The mode change condition may be, for example, that the remaining charge of a battery (primary battery or secondary battery) (not shown) falls below a predetermined value (e.g., that the remaining charge of a primary battery at the start of use or that of a fully charged secondary battery falls below 10%). When switching from normal mode to power-saving mode in response to a mode change condition being met (i.e., not based on a mode change operation by the user), it is preferable to move second hand 23 to the camouflage position in a manner that makes it difficult for the user to notice that the mode has switched to power-saving mode. For this reason, CPU 11 moves second hand 23 to the camouflage position at the speed of second hand 23 in normal mode and stops second hand 23 at this camouflage position. For example, if the mode change condition is met at the time shown in Figure 3(a), i.e., 10:08:27, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 at the same speed as in normal mode until 10:08:45, and then stops the second hand 23 at 10:08:45, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0027] When a predetermined mode change operation is performed by the user while the watch is operating in the power saving mode, the CPU 11 switches the operating mode from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Here, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to a position corresponding to the seconds of the current time and resumes the movement of the second hand. When switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode in response to a mode change operation, it is also preferable to fast-forward the second hand 23 to indicate to the user that the switch to the normal mode has been successful. For this reason, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to a position corresponding to the seconds of the current time at a speed faster than the speed at which the second hand 23 moves in the normal mode. In this case, the second hand 23 may also be moved in the direction that reduces the amount of rotation, either forward or backward.

[0028] Furthermore, even if a mode change operation has not been performed, if a mode change condition to switch to the normal mode is satisfied during operation in the power saving mode, the CPU 11 switches the operating mode from the power saving mode to the normal mode. The mode change condition in this case may be, for example, that the remaining charge of a rechargeable battery (secondary battery) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., equal to or greater than 10% of the full charge). When switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode in response to the mode change condition being satisfied (i.e., not based on a mode change operation by the user), it is preferable to resume the movement of the second hand 23 in a manner that makes it difficult for the user to notice that the mode has switched to the normal mode. For this reason, the CPU 11 resumes the movement of the second hand 23 when the seconds displayed by the second hand 23 in the camouflage position match the seconds of the current time. For example, if the second hand 23 is stopped in the camouflage position pointing in the 9 o'clock direction as shown in FIG. 3(b), the CPU 11 resumes the movement of the second hand 23 when the seconds of the current time reach 45.

[0029] The shape and color of the second hand 23 and the design D of the dial 27 may be any pattern as long as the second hand 23 in the camouflage position is integrated into the design D. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the second hand 23 and design D may be configured so that the color of the second hand 23 blends in with the color of design D when the second hand 23 is in the camouflage position. Design D in FIG. 4 has a national flag pattern 272 modeled after a national flag. The national flag pattern 272 has a first color area 272a of a first color, a second color area 272b of a second color, and a third color area 272c of a third color. The tip side of the second hand 23 is a first color portion 23a of a first color, and the base side (rotation shaft side) is a second color portion 23b of a second color. As shown in FIG. 4( a), during operation in normal mode, the position of the second hand 23 can be seen due to the difference in color between the national flag pattern 272 and the second hand 23. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(b), in the power saving mode, the second hand 23 moves to and stops at a camouflage position (a position pointing near the 2 o'clock direction) where the first color portion 23a overlaps the first color region 272a and the second color portion 23b overlaps the second color region 272b when viewed from the viewing direction. In this camouflage position, the color of the second hand 23 blends in with the color of design D, making the second hand 23 difficult to see. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 as well, the camouflage position is a position where, when the second hand 23 is stopped at the camouflage position, the appearance of the second hand 23 when viewed from the viewing direction substantially matches the portion of design D of the dial 27 that overlaps with the second hand 23 in the camouflage position when viewed from the viewing direction.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, design D may have radially extending line segments 273a that allow the second hand 23 to blend in. Design D in FIG. 5 has a star-shaped graphic pattern 273. The graphic pattern 273 has the outer lines of the star and line segments 273a extending from the center of the dial 27 toward each vertex of the star. The thickness and color of the line segments 273a are substantially the same as those of the second hand 23. As shown in FIG. 5(a), during operation in normal mode, the line segments 273a and the second hand 23 do not overlap at most points, making the position of the second hand 23 visible. As shown in FIG. 5(b), in power-saving mode, the second hand 23 moves to a camouflage position where it overlaps one of the line segments 273a (a position pointing toward the 8 o'clock position in FIG. 5(b)) and stops. In the embodiment of Figure 5, the camouflage position is also a position where, when the second hand 23 is stopped at the camouflage position, the appearance of the second hand 23 as seen from the viewing direction approximately coincides with the portion of the design D of the dial 27 that overlaps with the second hand 23 in the camouflage position as seen from the viewing direction.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , the camouflage position may be a position where a predetermined composite design Dc is completed by combining the appearance of the second hand 23 at the camouflage position when viewed from the viewing direction with the design D of the dial 27 when viewed from the viewing direction. In other words, the manner in which the appearance of the second hand 23 and the design D are integrated may be a manner in which a composite design Dc is completed by combining the appearance of the second hand 23 with the design D of the dial 27. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the design D of the dial 27 has one line segment of the letter "X" and the letters "Y" and "Z." The thickness and color of the line segments constituting each letter of the design D are substantially the same as the thickness and color of the second hand 23. As shown in FIG. 6( a), during operation in normal mode, the second hand 23 and the design D do not form the composite design Dc, so the second hand 23 is visible. As shown in FIG. 6(b), in power saving mode, second hand 23 moves to and stops at a camouflage position (a position pointing toward 11 o'clock) where it intersects with one of the line segments of the "X" in design D. In this state, the letter "X" is completed by one of the line segments of the "X" in design D and second hand 23, and a composite design Dc including the letters "XYZ" is completed. In this state, second hand 23 blends in as a component of composite design Dc, making it difficult for the user to recognize second hand 23.

[0032] Next, the operation mode control process executed by the CPU 11 to realize the above-mentioned operation will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the operation mode control process. The operation mode control process is started when the electronic timepiece 1 starts the time display operation. When the operation mode control process is started, the CPU 11 moves the hands 21 to 23 in normal mode (step S101). Here, the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to operate the stepping motors 251, 253, and moves the hour hand 21, minute hand 22, and second hand 23 to display the hour, minute, and second of the current time, respectively.

[0033] The CPU 11 determines whether a mode change operation to the power saving mode has been performed (step S102). If it determines that a mode change operation has been performed ("YES" in step S102), the CPU 11 executes steps S103 to S105 to switch the operating mode from the normal mode to the power saving mode. Here, the CPU 11 identifies the camouflage position closest to the current position of the second hand 23 among the multiple camouflage positions and identifies the rotation direction that reduces the amount of rotation to the camouflage position (step S103). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to operate the stepping motor 253 and move the second hand 23 to the camouflage position at a fast rate using the identified rotation method (step S104). The CPU 11 also sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to stop the stepping motor 253 and stop the second hand 23 at the camouflage position (step S105). In steps S103 and S104, the rotation direction of the second hand 23 is selected from the forward direction and the reverse direction, but instead, the rotation direction may be fixed to the forward direction. Also, the second hand 23 may not be moved at a fast forward speed, but may be moved at the same speed as in the normal mode.

[0034] If it is determined in step S102 that a mode change operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S102), the CPU 11 determines whether the above-described mode change condition to the power saving mode is met (step S106). If it is determined that the mode change condition is not met ("NO" in step S106), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S101. If it is determined that the mode change condition is met ("YES" in step S106), the CPU 11 switches the operating mode from the normal mode to the power saving mode by executing steps S107, S108, and S105. Here, the CPU 11 continues moving the second hand 23 at the hand movement speed of the normal mode (step S107) and determines whether the second hand 23 has moved to the camouflage position (step S108). If it is determined that the second hand 23 has not moved to the camouflage position ("NO" in step S108), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S107. If it is determined that the second hand 23 has moved to the camouflage position ("YES" in step S108), the CPU 11 sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 26 to stop the stepping motor 253, and stops the second hand 23 at the camouflage position (step S105). Note that instead of the operations of steps S107 and S108, the second hand 23 may be moved quickly forward in the forward or reverse direction, as in steps S103 and S104.

[0035] When step S105 ends and the watch transitions to the power saving mode, the CPU 11 determines whether a mode change operation to the normal mode has been performed (step S109). If it determines that a mode change operation has been performed ("YES" in step S109), the CPU 11 executes steps S110 to S112 to switch the operating mode from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Here, the CPU 11 specifies a rotation direction that reduces the amount of rotation to the position corresponding to the seconds of the current time (step S110). The CPU 11 also fast-forwards the second hand 23 to the position corresponding to the seconds of the current time (step S111). The CPU 11 also resumes movement of the second hand 23 at the speed of the normal mode (step S112). Note that in steps S110 and S111, the rotation direction of the second hand 23 is selected from the forward direction and the reverse direction. However, the rotation direction may instead be fixed to the forward direction. Also, the second hand 23 may not be moved quickly, but may be moved at the same speed as in the normal mode.

[0036] If it is determined in step S109 that a mode change operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S109), the CPU 11 determines whether the above-described mode change condition to the normal mode is met (step S113). If it is determined that the mode change condition is not met ("NO" in step S113), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S109. If it is determined that the mode change condition is met ("YES" in step S113), the CPU 11 executes steps S114 and S112 to switch the operating mode from the power saving mode to the normal mode. Here, the CPU 11 repeatedly determines whether the seconds displayed by the second hand 23 in the camouflage position match the seconds of the current time (step S114). If it is determined that the seconds displayed by the second hand 23 match the seconds of the current time ("YES" in step S114), the CPU 11 resumes moving the second hand 23 at the speed of the normal mode from that point onward (step S112). Note that instead of the operation of step S114, the second hand 23 may be rapidly moved in the forward or reverse direction as in steps S110 and S111. After step S112 is completed, the CPU 11 returns the process to step S101. Thereafter, the CPU 11 repeatedly executes the above steps.

[0037] (Variation) Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described. Differences from the above embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic timepiece 1 of this modification has a digital display unit 70 (change means, display unit) in addition to the analog display unit 20. The digital display unit 70 has a liquid crystal panel 71 and a liquid crystal drive circuit 72 that drives the liquid crystal panel 71. The liquid crystal panel 71 has a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and displays an image by each pixel displaying a bright or dark state according to a drive voltage supplied to each pixel. Color filters may be provided on the pixels of the liquid crystal panel 71 to display a color. The liquid crystal drive circuit 72 supplies a drive voltage to each pixel of the liquid crystal panel 71 according to control signals and image data sent from the CPU 11, causing the liquid crystal panel 71 to display an image.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 9(a), the digital display unit 70 is provided within the dial 27, and the image displayed by the digital display unit 70 constitutes part of the design D of the dial 27. In the example shown in FIG. 9(a), the design D of the dial 27 has a plurality of line patterns 275 extending vertically and provided on the part of the dial 27 excluding the digital display unit 70. The thickness and color of the line patterns 275 are substantially the same as the thickness and color of the second hand 23. As shown in FIG. 9(a), in normal mode, the digital display unit 70 displays predetermined information such as the date and day of the week.

[0039] 9(b), when the digital display unit 70 switches to the power saving mode, it displays a design image Di (image) including a plurality of line patterns 275. The line patterns 275 of the design image Di and the line patterns 275 provided on the dial 27 excluding the digital display unit 70 are seamlessly connected to form a harmonious whole. In this way, the digital display unit 70 functions as a change means for changing a part of the design D of the dial 27.

[0040] In this modified example, the camouflage position of the second hand 23 is a position pointing toward the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock direction. The second hand 23 in these camouflage positions is difficult to see because it blends in with the line pattern 275 on the dial 27 or the line pattern 275 of the design image Di on the digital display unit 70. When the second hand 23 is stopped in the camouflage position pointing toward the 6 o'clock direction as shown in FIG. 9(b), the line pattern 275 may not be displayed in a position overlapping with the second hand 23 (on the line connecting the center of the dial 27 and the 6 o'clock direction). In this way, when switching from the normal mode to the power-saving mode, the CPU 11 in this modified example causes the digital display unit 70 to change part of the design D of the second hand 23 so that the appearance of the second hand 23 is integrated into the design D of the dial 27 when the second hand 23 is in the camouflage position.

[0041] It should be noted that the portion of the design D of the dial 27 excluding the digital display unit 70 and the design image Di of the digital display unit 70 do not necessarily need to be an integral part of each other. For example, when switching to the power-saving mode, the digital display unit 70 may display a design image Di that is unrelated to the portion of the design D of the dial 27 excluding the digital display unit 70 and that blends in with the second hand 23, and the second hand 23 may be stopped at a position on the digital display unit 70 where it blends in with the design image Di. In this case, it is more preferable that the digital display unit 70 be provided in an area that overlaps substantially the entire second hand 23. Alternatively, the entire dial 27 may be formed by the digital display unit 70, and the entire design D of the dial 27 may be changed by the digital display unit 70 when switching to the power-saving mode.

[0042] As described above, the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment includes the second hand 23, the dial 27 having a predetermined design D, and the CPU 11. The CPU 11 can switch between a normal mode in which the second hand 23 moves to display the seconds of the current time and a power-saving mode in which the second hand 23 stops moving. When switching from the normal mode to the power-saving mode, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to a camouflage position where the appearance of the second hand 23 blends into the design D of the dial 27 when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial 27, and stops the second hand 23 at the camouflage position. In this way, the second hand 23 that stops in the power-saving mode is integrated into the design D of the dial 27, making it difficult for the user to notice it (making it easier for the user to lose sight of the second hand 23). Therefore, when the user looks at the dial 27, they are not (or are less likely to) aware of the existence of the second hand 23, making it less likely that the user will mistakenly believe that the electronic timepiece 1 is not operating normally, even if the second hand 23 is stopped. This allows the second hand 23 to be stopped and the watch to switch to the power saving mode without causing any discomfort to the user, reducing power consumption and extending battery life.

[0043] The camouflage position is a position where the appearance of second hand 23 at the camouflage position when viewed from the viewing direction substantially matches the portion of design D of dial 27 that overlaps with second hand 23 at the camouflage position when viewed from the viewing direction. This makes it possible to make second hand 23 less noticeable by making the stopped second hand 23 blend in with or resemble design D of dial 27.

[0044] 6, the camouflage position may be a position where a predetermined composite design Dc is completed by combining the appearance of the second hand 23 at the camouflage position as seen from the viewing direction with the design D of the dial 27 as seen from the viewing direction. In this way, the stopped second hand 23 can be recognized as part of the composite design Dc, and the second hand 23 can be prevented from being recognized as a pointer for displaying the time.

[0045] Furthermore, when there are multiple camouflage positions, CPU 11 moves second hand 23 to the camouflage position that is closest to the position of second hand 23 at the time of switching from normal mode to power saving mode. This allows second hand 23 to be moved to the camouflage position in a shorter time and reduces the power consumption for the movement.

[0046] Furthermore, the electronic timepiece 1 according to the modified example includes a digital display unit 70 that changes at least a portion of the design D of the dial 27, and when switching from normal mode to power saving mode, the CPU 11 causes the digital display unit 70 to change at least a portion of the design D so that when the second hand 23 is in the camouflage position, the appearance of the second hand 23 is integrated into the design D of the dial 27. In this way, by changing the design D of the dial 27 to match the second hand 23, the second hand 23 can be made more effectively difficult to notice.

[0047] In addition, in this modification, the digital display unit 70 that displays the design image Di that forms at least a part of the design D of the dial 27 is used as the modification means. This makes it possible to display the design image Di that is integrated into the appearance of the second hand 23 in the power saving mode, while displaying other information in the normal mode.

[0048] Furthermore, when switching from normal mode to power-saving mode in response to a mode change operation by the user instructing a switch from normal mode to power-saving mode, CPU 11 moves second hand 23 to the camouflage position at a speed faster than the speed at which second hand 23 moves in normal mode, and stops second hand 23 at the camouflage position. By moving second hand 23 at a fast speed in this manner, it is possible to indicate to the user that a switch to power-saving mode has been performed in response to the mode change operation.

[0049] Furthermore, when switching from normal mode to power saving mode without a user mode change operation, CPU 11 moves second hand 23 to the camouflage position at the speed of second hand 23 in normal mode and stops second hand 23 at the camouflage position. By moving second hand 23 to the camouflage position in the same way as in normal mode, it is possible to switch to power saving mode in a manner that is difficult for the user to notice.

[0050] Furthermore, when switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode in response to a mode change operation by the user instructing a switch from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the CPU 11 moves the second hand 23 to a position corresponding to the second of the current time at a speed faster than the speed at which the second hand 23 moves in the normal mode. By moving the second hand 23 at a fast pace in this way, it is possible to indicate to the user that a switch to the normal mode is being performed in response to the mode change operation.

[0051] Furthermore, when switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode without a mode change operation by the user, the CPU 11 resumes the movement of the second hand 23 when the seconds displayed by the second hand 23 in the camouflage position coincide with the seconds of the current time. This allows the switch to the normal mode in a manner that is difficult for the user to notice.

[0052] Furthermore, the control method for the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment is capable of switching between a normal mode in which the second hand 23 is moved to display the seconds of the current time, and a power-saving mode in which the second hand 23 is stopped, and when switching from the normal mode to the power-saving mode, the second hand 23 is moved to a camouflage position in which the appearance of the second hand 23 is integrated into the design D of the dial 27 when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial 27, and the second hand 23 is stopped in the camouflage position. This makes it less likely that a stopped second hand 23 will cause the mistaken impression that "the electronic timepiece 1 is not operating normally."

[0053] Furthermore, the program 131 according to this embodiment causes the CPU 11 of the electronic timepiece 1 to function as control means capable of switching between a normal mode in which the second hand 23 is moved to display the seconds of the current time, and a power-saving mode in which the second hand 23 is stopped, and when switching from the normal mode to the power-saving mode, the control means moves the second hand 23 to a camouflage position in which the appearance of the second hand 23 is integrated into the design D of the dial 27 when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial 27, and stops the second hand 23 in the camouflage position. This makes it less likely that a stopped second hand 23 will cause the mistaken impression that "the electronic timepiece 1 is not operating normally."

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the appearance of the second hand 23 and the design D of the dial 27 illustrated in Figures 3 to 6 and 9 are merely examples, and can be modified as appropriate as long as the appearance of the second hand 23 in the camouflage position is integrated into the design D of the dial 27. Furthermore, the appearance of the hour hand 21 and the minute hand 22 may be made different from the appearance of the second hand 23 (for example, a different color from the second hand 23) and may be made to be indistinguishable from the design D of the dial 27.

[0055] Furthermore, the electronic clock 1 is not limited to a wristwatch, but may be a table clock, a wall clock, or the like.

[0056] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a case in which the second hand 23 is stopped in power saving mode, the camouflage method of the above embodiment may also be applied when the second hand 23 is stopped for purposes other than reducing power consumption. For example, in an electronic timepiece 1 in which the step operation sound of the second hand 23 is loud, if a silent mode is provided in which the second hand 23 is stopped to reduce the operation sound, the second hand 23 may be stopped in a camouflage position in the silent mode.

[0057] Furthermore, while the digital display unit 70 of the modified example has been exemplified as a change unit that changes at least a portion of the design D of the dial 27, this is not limiting. For example, the illumination unit 50 may be used as the change unit. Specifically, when switching to the power saving mode, the illumination unit 50 may irradiate the dial 27 with light of the same color as the second hand 23, thereby changing the color of the dial 27, and the second hand 23 may be stopped in a camouflage position within the area of ​​the dial 27 whose color has been changed by the illumination unit 50. The second hand 23 in such a camouflage position will blend in with the color of the dial 27 and be difficult to see.

[0058] In the above description, an example has been disclosed in which a flash memory in the storage unit 13 is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but this is not limiting. Other computer-readable media may include information recording media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and a CD-ROM. Furthermore, a carrier wave may also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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]

[0061] 1...electronic clock, 20...analog display unit, 23...second hand, 27...dial, 50...illumination unit (change means), 70...digital display unit (change means, display unit), D...design, Dc...composite design, Di...design image (image)

Claims

1. The second hand and a dial having a predetermined design; a control unit that can switch between a first mode in which the second hand is moved to display the seconds of the current time and a second mode in which the second hand is stopped; Equipped with when switching from the first mode to the second mode, the control unit moves the second hand to a predetermined position where an appearance of the second hand is integrated into the predetermined design of the dial when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial, and stops the second hand at the predetermined position. Electronic clock.

2. the predetermined position is a position where an appearance of the second hand at the predetermined position as seen from the viewing direction substantially coincides with a portion of the predetermined design of the dial that overlaps with the second hand at the predetermined position as seen from the viewing direction; 2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

3. the predetermined position is a position where a predetermined composite design is completed by combining the appearance of the second hand at the predetermined position as seen from the viewing direction with the predetermined design of the dial as seen from the viewing direction, 2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

4. When there are a plurality of the predetermined positions, the control unit moves the second hand to one of the plurality of predetermined positions that is closest to the position of the second hand at the time of switching from the first mode to the second mode.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

5. a change means for changing at least a part of the predetermined design of the dial; when switching from the first mode to the second mode, the control unit causes the change unit to change at least a part of the predetermined design so that an appearance of the second hand is integrated into the predetermined design of the dial when the second hand is in the predetermined position.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

6. the change unit is a display unit that displays an image constituting at least a part of the predetermined design of the dial.

6. The electronic watch according to claim 5.

7. when switching from the first mode to the second mode in response to a user's operation instructing switching from the first mode to the second mode, the control unit moves the second hand to the predetermined position at a speed faster than the speed at which the second hand moves in the first mode, and stops the second hand at the predetermined position.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

8. when switching from the first mode to the second mode without a user operation, the control unit moves the second hand to the predetermined position at a speed of movement of the second hand in the first mode and stops the second hand at the predetermined position.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

9. when switching from the second mode to the first mode in response to a user's operation to instruct switching from the second mode to the first mode, the control unit moves the second hand to a position corresponding to the second of the current time at a speed faster than the speed of the second hand in the first mode.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

10. when switching from the second mode to the first mode without a user operation, the control unit resumes movement of the second hand at a timing when the seconds displayed by the second hand at the predetermined position match the seconds of the current time.

2. The electronic watch according to claim 1.

11. A control method for an electronic timepiece equipped with a second hand and a dial having a predetermined design, comprising: The watch is switchable between a first mode in which the second hand is moved to display the seconds of the current time and a second mode in which the second hand is stopped from moving, When switching from the first mode to the second mode, the second hand is moved to a predetermined position where an appearance of the second hand is integrated into the predetermined design of the dial when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial, and the second hand is stopped at the predetermined position. How to control an electronic clock.

12. An electronic timepiece computer having a second hand and a dial having a predetermined design, a control means for switching between a first mode in which the second hand is moved to display the seconds of the current time and a second mode in which the second hand is stopped; It functions as when switching from the first mode to the second mode, the control means moves the second hand to a predetermined position where the appearance of the second hand is integrated into the predetermined design of the dial when viewed from a viewing direction perpendicular to the dial, and stops the second hand at the predetermined position. program.

Images