Time, method for controlling display, and program

Abstract

To display time while suppressing a decrease in power generation efficiency of a solar panel.SOLUTION: A clock includes: a first display unit having hands; a second display unit; a solar panel located in a position where external light can be shielded by the hands displaying time; and a control unit for controlling operation modes of the first display unit and the second display unit, the control unit switching operation modes between a first mode, in which the time is displayed by the hands of the first display unit, and a second mode, in which the time is displayed by the second display unit, while the hands are retracted to a predetermined retracted position such that the amount of the external light shielded by the hands becomes smaller than in the first mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are watches that can charge a secondary battery using the power generation action of a solar panel. In such watches, the power generation efficiency decreases when the shadow of the hour hand, minute hand, or other hand falls on the solar panel. For this reason, a technology is known that efficiently charges the secondary battery by retracting the hands to a position where the power generation efficiency of the solar panel is less likely to decrease when the remaining charge of the secondary battery is low (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-57366 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to display the time while the hands are retracted.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to make it possible to display the time while suppressing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of a solar panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the timepiece according to the present invention comprises: a first display unit having a hand; A second display unit; a solar panel provided at a position where external light can be blocked by the hands displaying the time; a control unit that controls operation modes of the first display unit and the second display unit; Equipped with The control unit switches the operating mode between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands of the first display unit, and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit while the hands are retracted to a predetermined retracted position so that the amount of external light blocked by the hands is less than in the first mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to display the time while suppressing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view showing the first display section, second display section, third display section, etc. of the electronic timepiece. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic timepiece taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an electronic timepiece operating in a second mode. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of an operation mode control process. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for determining a retreat position in Modification 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the change over time in the electromotive force of a solar panel when the needle is rotated once. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an electronic timepiece according to Modification 2 operating in a second mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view of an electronic timepiece according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of an electronic timepiece according to a second embodiment operating in a second mode. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view of another electronic timepiece according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view of another electronic timepiece according to the second embodiment operating in the second mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (First embodiment) <Configuration of an electronic clock> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic watch 1 (watch). The electronic watch 1 is a wristwatch (wearable device) worn on the user's wrist by a band (not shown). The electronic watch 1 comprises a first display unit 10, a second display unit 20, a third display unit 30, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41 (control unit, control means), a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a storage unit 43, a timing unit 50, an operation unit 61, a motion sensor 62, a solar panel 71, a secondary battery 72, and a charge control unit 73. The various units of the electronic watch 1 are connected via a communication path such as a bus, and operate using power supplied from the secondary battery 72.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the first display unit 10, second display unit 20, third display unit 30, and other components of the electronic timepiece 1. The first display unit 10 has an hour hand 11, a minute hand 12, and a second hand 13 that rotate around a rotary shaft 101 at the center of the circular dial 81. Hereinafter, the hour hand 11, minute hand 12, and second hand 13 will be collectively referred to as hands 11-13. The first display unit 10 displays time in an analog format using the hands 11-13. The second display unit 20 is located on the 6 o'clock side of the rotary shaft 101. The second display unit 20 has a segment-type liquid crystal panel and displays information such as the time, date, and day of the week in a digital format. The third display unit 30 is located to the upper right (1:30 o'clock side) of the rotary shaft 101. The third display unit 30 has a segment-type liquid crystal panel and displays a second segment 31 that indicates the passage of seconds, an evacuation position indicator 32 (see FIG. 4), and other information.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic timepiece 1 taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. The components shown in FIG. 3 are housed in a housing (not shown), and the opening on the display side of the housing is sealed with a transparent crystal (not shown). The electronic timepiece 1 includes a module 82 that houses components for operating the first display unit 10, the second display unit 20, and the third display unit 30. The hands 11-13 rotate independently in response to the rotation of a rotating shaft 101 attached to the module 82. A solar panel 71 and a dial 81 are layered in this order on the surface of the module 82 facing the hands 11-13 (display side). The dial 81 is provided with decorative elements such as the indexes 811 shown in FIG. 2, and the portion other than the decorative elements forms a light-transmitting portion 810 made of a light-transmitting material (semi-transparent material). Therefore, external light that passes through the light-transmitting portion 810 of the dial 81 enters the solar panel 71. The decorative elements may also be semi-transparent.

[0013] Hereinafter, viewing the electronic timepiece 1 from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71 (extending direction of the rotation axis 101) will be referred to as a planar view. As shown in FIG. 3, the solar panel 71 and the dial 81 have openings in the area that overlaps with the second display unit 20 in a planar view. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the solar panel 71 and the dial 81 also have openings in the area that overlaps with the third display unit 30 in a planar view. In other words, the solar panel 71 is provided in an area that does not overlap with the second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30 in a planar view. In FIG. 2, the area where the solar panel 71 is provided is indicated by color. Because the hands 11 to 13 rotate on the solar panel 71, external light entering the solar panel 71 may be blocked by the hands 11 to 13 that are currently displaying the time. Therefore, the solar panel 71 is provided in a position where external light may be blocked by the hands 11 to 13 that are currently displaying the time. In other words, the solar panel 71 is provided in a position where the shadows of the needles 11 to 13 can fall on part of the solar panel 71 in a plan view.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , first display unit 10 further includes gear train mechanisms 121, 122, and 123, which are multiple gear trains connected to hour hand 11, minute hand 12, and second hand 13, respectively; stepping motors 111, 112, and 113 that rotate gear train mechanisms 121, 122, and 123, respectively; and motor drive circuit 110 that drives stepping motors 111, 112, and 113. Hour hand 11 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping motion of stepping motor 111 transmitted via gear train mechanism 121. Minute hand 12 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping motion of stepping motor 112 transmitted via gear train mechanism 122. Second hand 13 rotates by an angle corresponding to one second in response to the stepping motion of stepping motor 113 transmitted via gear train mechanism 123. The rotation angle of the second hand 13 corresponding to one second is 6 degrees, the rotation angle of the minute hand 12 is 1 / 60 of the rotation angle of the second hand 13, and the rotation angle of the hour hand 11 is 1 / 12 of the rotation angle of the minute hand.

[0015] The stepping motors 111-113 are each step-driven based on the voltage waveform of a drive pulse input from the motor drive circuit 110, rotating the hands 11-13 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 111-113 are driven by a drive pulse of 1 pps (pulse per second) while displaying the time. The stepping motors 111-113 can also be driven by drive pulses of up to several tens to several hundred pps in the forward and reverse directions, allowing the hands 11-13 to rotate quickly forward or backward. The hour hand 11, minute hand 12, and second hand 13 are connected to separate gear train mechanisms and stepping motors, and can therefore rotate independently of each other. The motor drive circuit 110 outputs drive voltage pulses with appropriate timing and pulse width to drive the stepping motors 111-113 to perform stepwise movements in response to a control signal input from the CPU 41.

[0016] The second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30 each include a liquid crystal panel and a drive circuit for the liquid crystal panel. The second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30 perform the above-mentioned segment display on the liquid crystal panel in accordance with control signals and image data sent from the CPU 41 to the drive circuit.

[0017] The CPU 41 is a processor that functions as a control unit that controls the operation of the electronic watch 1 by reading and executing the program 431 stored in the memory unit 43 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 41 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 42 provides working memory space for the CPU 41 and stores temporary data.

[0018] The storage unit 43 is a non-transitory recording medium readable by the CPU 41 as a computer, and stores a program 431 and various data such as setting data 432. The storage unit 43 has a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The program 431 is stored in the storage unit 43 in the form of computer-readable program code. The setting data 432 stores data related to various operational settings of the electronic watch 1.

[0019] The timekeeping unit 50 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 deriving and holding the current date and time.

[0020] The operation unit 61 has operation means such as operation buttons and a crown (not shown), and outputs an operation signal corresponding to an operation performed on the operation means to the CPU 41.

[0021] The motion sensor 62 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor and a three-axis angular velocity sensor, and detects the acceleration and angular velocity that occur in the electronic timepiece 1 in response to the movement of the user's wrist. Based on the acceleration and angular velocity detected by the motion sensor 62, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the electronic timepiece 1 is being worn by the user.

[0022] The solar panel 71 has multiple solar cells (not shown) connected in series. Each solar cell generates an electromotive force due to the photoelectric effect in response to incident external light, and the solar panel 71 outputs the sum of the electromotive forces of the multiple solar cells. The shape of each solar cell may be, for example, a roughly fan-like shape obtained by dividing the circle formed by the dial 81 shown in FIG. 2 by dividing lines extending in the radial direction, or a spiral shape starting from the position of the rotation axis 101. However, the shapes of the multiple solar cells may be different from each other so that the solar panel 71 is provided in an area that does not overlap with the second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30.

[0023] The secondary battery 72 is a battery that can be charged and discharged. The secondary battery 72 is charged by the current generated by the electromotive force of the solar panel 71 flowing into it.

[0024] The charging control unit 73 is electrically connected to the solar panel 71 and the secondary battery 72, and controls the charging operation from the solar panel 71 to the secondary battery 72 in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the CPU 41. The charging control unit 73 also detects the electromotive force of the solar panel 71 in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the CPU 41, and transmits the detection result to the CPU 41. The charging control unit 73 may be capable of detecting the remaining battery power of the secondary battery 72.

[0025] The electronic watch 1 may also include components not shown in Figure 1, such as a communication unit that communicates with external devices, and a location information acquisition unit that receives and decodes radio waves transmitted from positioning satellites to calculate the current location.

[0026] <Electronic clock operation> Next, the operation of the electronic timepiece 1 will be described. As described above, in the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, the rotating hands 11-13 may overlap the solar panel 71 in a planar view. Therefore, when external light is blocked by the hands 11-13 and their shadows are cast on the solar panel 71, the power generation efficiency and electromotive force of the solar panel 71 decrease, resulting in a decrease in the charging efficiency of the secondary battery 72. In a combination model having an analog first display 10 and digital second and third display 30, as in this embodiment, the solar panel 71 cannot be provided in the area of ​​the second and third display 30. Therefore, if the limited area of ​​the solar panel 71 is blocked by the hands 11-13, power generation efficiency is likely to decrease. This problem is also more pronounced when the hour and minute hands 11 and 12 are designed to be wide and large.

[0027] Therefore, in the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, the operating modes of the first display unit 10, the second display unit 20, and the third display unit 30 can be switched between a normal first mode and a second mode that suppresses a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71. The switching of the operating modes is controlled by the CPU 41.

[0028] The first mode is a mode for displaying the normal time. In the first mode, as shown in Fig. 2, the CPU 41 causes the first display unit 10 to display the time (hours, minutes, and seconds), the second display unit 20 to display the date and day of the week, and the third display unit 30 to display the second segment 31. In the first mode, the information displayed by the second display unit 20 is not limited to the date and day of the week, and may be any information other than the time.

[0029] When a predetermined condition for transitioning to the second mode is satisfied during operation in the first mode, the CPU 41 transitions the operating mode to the second mode. The condition for transitioning to the second mode can be satisfied when at least one of the following occurs: the user performs an operation to instruct transition to the second mode; it is a predetermined time period (e.g., daytime) when high power generation efficiency is achieved; it is detected based on the detection results of the motion sensor 62 that the electronic timepiece 1 has been removed from the user's wrist; strong light is detected by the solar panel 71 (the electromotive force is equal to or greater than a certain upper limit); and the remaining battery charge of the secondary battery 72 is less than a predetermined first reference amount. In the second mode, as shown in FIG. 4 , the CPU 41 retracts and stops the hands 11 to 13 at a predetermined retracted position where the amount of external light blocked by the hands 11 to 13 is less than in the first mode. The CPU 41 also digitally displays the time on the second display unit 20. The CPU 41 also displays the retracted position indicator 32 in addition to the second segment 31 on the third display unit 30. The evacuation position sign 32 is made up of the letter "S" which indicates that charging by the solar panel 71 is in progress.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4 , the CPU 41 retracts each of the hands 11 to 13 to the same retracted position so that the hands 11 to 13 overlap. In this retracted position, a portion of each of the hands 11 to 13 overlaps the third display unit 30. The retracted positions are determined so that the hands 11 to 13 do not overlap the second display unit 20 and so that the area of ​​the solar panel 71 that is blocked from external light by the hands 11 to 13 is minimized. In other words, the retracted positions are determined so that the area of ​​overlap between the third display unit 30 and the hands 11 to 13 is maximized when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71. As a result, less external light entering the solar panel 71 is blocked by the hands 11 to 13 than in the first mode. Retracting the hands 11 to 13 to these retracted positions maximizes the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71 without interfering with the time display by the second display unit 20. The retracted position marker 32 is displayed at a position indicated by the hands 11 to 13 that are in the retracted position. In other words, in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the hands 11 to 13 to point to the retracted position marker 32.

[0031] When a predetermined condition for transitioning to the first mode is satisfied while the device is operating in the second mode, the CPU 41 transitions the operating mode to the first mode. The condition for transitioning to the first mode can be satisfied when at least one of the following occurs: the user performs an operation to instruct transition to the first mode; it is a predetermined time period (e.g., nighttime) when power generation efficiency is low; it is detected based on the detection results of the motion sensor 62 that the electronic timepiece 1 is worn on the user's wrist; the light detected by the solar panel 71 has weakened (the electromotive force has fallen below a certain lower limit); and the remaining battery power of the secondary battery 72 has reached or exceeded a predetermined second reference amount. The second reference amount may be the same as or different from the first reference amount.

[0032] Next, the operation mode control process executed by the CPU 41 to realize the above-described operations will be described. FIG. 5 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 is started. When the operation mode control process is started, the CPU 41 starts a process of transitioning to the first mode (step S1). That is, the CPU 41 sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 110 to operate the stepping motors 111 to 113, thereby causing the hands 11 to 13 of the first display unit 10 to display the current time measured by the timekeeping unit (step S2). The CPU 41 also sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the second display unit 20 to cause the second display unit 20 to display the date and day of the week (step S3). The CPU 41 also sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the third display unit 30 to cause the third display unit 30 to display the second segment 31 and hide the evacuation position indicator 32 (step S4).

[0033] The CPU 41 repeatedly determines whether the transition condition to the second mode described above is satisfied (step S5). If it determines that the transition condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S5), the CPU 41 starts the transition process to the second mode (step S6). That is, the CPU 41 moves the hands 11 to 13 of the first display unit 10 to the retracted positions (step S7). Here, the CPU 41 acquires information about the retracted positions by referring to the setting data 432, and sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit 110 to operate the stepping motors 111 to 113, thereby independently rotating the hour hand 11, minute hand 12, and second hand 13 forward or backward to the retracted positions. The CPU 41 also sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the second display unit 20 to cause the second display unit 20 to display the time (step S8). The CPU 41 also sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the third display unit 30 to cause the third display unit 30 to display the retracted position indicator 32 (step S9).

[0034] The CPU 41 repeatedly determines whether the transition condition to the first mode described above is met (step S10). If it determines that the transition condition is met ("YES" in step S10), the CPU 41 determines whether an operation to power off the electronic timepiece 1 has been performed (step S11). If the CPU 41 determines that the operation has not been performed ("NO" in step S11), the process returns to step S1, and if it determines that the operation has been performed ("YES" in step S11), the CPU 41 ends the operation mode control process. Note that if the power-off operation has not been set, for example, the CPU 41 may transition to step S1 when branching to "YES" in step S10. In other words, the loop process of steps S1 to S10 may be repeatedly executed until the power of the secondary battery 72 runs out.

[0035] <Variation 1> Next, a first variation of the first embodiment will be described. The differences between this variation and the first embodiment will be described below. In the above embodiment, the retraction position for the second mode was preset and registered in the setting data 432, but in this variation, when transitioning to the second mode, a suitable retraction position that achieves high power generation efficiency is determined. In this variation, an example will be described in which the electronic timepiece 1 does not have a third display unit 30.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining the retracted position in Modification 1. When transitioning to the second mode in this modification, the CPU 41 rotates the hands 11 to 13 one full revolution while they are overlapping, and acquires the change over time in the electromotive force of the solar panel 71 from the charge control unit 73. The speed of the hands 11 to 13 when rotating one full revolution can be determined appropriately depending on the response speed of the change in the electromotive force of the solar panel 71, and can be, for example, several times the rotation speed of the normal second hand 13. Alternatively, of the hands 11 to 13, only the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 may rotate one full revolution, while the second hand 13 continues to operate normally to display the time. This is because the second hand 13, which is thinner than the minute hand 12, has less impact on the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the change over time in the electromotive force of the solar panel 71 when the hands 11 to 13 rotate once. The horizontal axis in FIG. 7 represents the rotation angle of the hands 11 to 13, with 12 o'clock being 0°. The angle range R represents the range over which the hands 11 to 13 overlap with a portion of the second display unit 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the electromotive force at each angle is not necessarily constant. For example, if the solar panel 71 is shadowed by an object other than the hands 11 to 13, the electromotive force will be higher when the hands 11 to 13 overlap the shadow than when they do not. Examples of situations in which the shadow of an object other than the hands 11 to 13 is cast include when external light enters the solar panel 71 from a direction oblique to the perpendicular direction, causing the shadow of the side wall or bezel of the housing to cast on the solar panel 71, or when the electronic timepiece 1 is located on the boundary between sunshine and shade.

[0038] The CPU 41 determines the retracted position as the position of the hands 11-13 where the electromotive force satisfies a predetermined condition based on the change over time of the obtained electromotive force. The predetermined condition may be, for example, that the electromotive force is the largest, excluding the electromotive force within the angle range R. Alternatively, the electromotive force may be equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, excluding the electromotive force within the angle range R. In the example of FIG. 7 , the CPU 41 identifies angle A, from among angles excluding angle range R, at which the electromotive force of the solar panel 71 is the highest, and determines the position corresponding to the identified angle A as the retracted position. In this modification, since the retracted position indicator cannot be indicated by the hands 11-13 retracted to the retracted position, the CPU 41 displays the retracted position indicator 23 on the second display unit 20. Alternatively, a function hand (not shown) may be provided and the function hand may indicate the retracted position indicator. The process of determining the retraction position and retracting the needles 11 to 13 using the above-described method may be performed only once when transitioning to the second mode, or may be performed repeatedly at a predetermined frequency (e.g., once an hour) while operating in the second mode.

[0039] <Variation 2> Next, Modification 2 of the first embodiment will be described. Differences between this modification and the first embodiment will be described below. Modification 2 may be combined with Modification 1. This modification will be described using an example in which the electronic timepiece 1 does not have a third display unit 30. In the above embodiment, the retracted positions were determined so that the hands 11 to 13 do not overlap the second display unit 20, but overlap the third display unit 30. However, in cases where there is no third display unit 30 and the solar panel 71 is provided over the entire area excluding the second display unit 20, it is preferable to determine the retracted positions so that the hands 11 to 13 overlap the second display unit 20, in order to prevent a decrease in power generation efficiency. This modification may also be applied when there is an area excluding the second display unit 20 where the solar panel 71 is not provided.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an electronic timepiece 1 according to Modification 2 operating in the second mode. As shown in FIG. 8, in this modification, the retracted position is determined at a position where a portion of the hands 11 to 13 overlaps a portion of the second display unit 20. The CPU 41 also displays the time in an area of ​​the second display unit 20 where the hands 11 to 13 do not overlap. The second display unit 20 of this modification has a dot-matrix liquid crystal panel in which pixels are arranged in a matrix. The CPU 41 identifies a range of pixels in the second display unit 20 where the hands 11 to 13 do not overlap, and transmits a control signal and image data to the second display unit 20 to display the time within that range. In FIG. 8, the CPU 41 displays a retracted position indicator 23 on the second display unit 20. Alternatively, a function hand (not shown) may be provided and the function hand may point to the retracted position indicator.

[0041] <Effects> As described above, the electronic timepiece 1 according to the first embodiment includes a first display unit 10 having hands 11-13, a second display unit 20, a solar panel 71 positioned so that external light can be blocked by the hands 11-13 currently displaying the time, and a CPU 41 that controls the operating modes of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20. The CPU 41 switches between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands 11-13 of the first display unit 10, and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit 20 while the hands 11-13 are retracted to predetermined retracted positions so that the amount of external light blocked by the hands 11-13 is less than in the first mode. In this way, in the second mode, the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 are retracted to their retracted positions, thereby preventing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71 and allowing the time to be displayed by the second display unit 20. Furthermore, by operating in the second mode, it is possible to increase the amount of power generated per day and the amount of charge in the secondary battery 72, making it possible to add functions that were previously not possible due to power consumption restrictions.It is also possible to reduce the size of the electronic timepiece 1, increase the area of ​​the second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30, and increase the width of the hands 11 to 13, thereby improving the freedom of design and engineering.

[0042] Furthermore, hands 11 to 13 include hour hand 11 and minute hand 12, and in the second mode, CPU 41 retracts hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to the same retracted position so that hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 overlap. This minimizes the area of ​​the shadow cast by hour hand 11 and minute hand 12, thereby more effectively preventing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of solar panel 71.

[0043] Furthermore, in Modification 1, the CPU 41 moves the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 around in an overlapping state, acquires the change over time in the electromotive force generated by the solar panel 71, and determines the position of the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 at which the electromotive force is of a magnitude that satisfies a predetermined condition as the retracted position. This allows the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to be retracted to the optimal retracted position that effectively reduces power generation efficiency in cases such as when light is shining only on a portion of the dial 81 or when light is shining on the dial at an angle.

[0044] Furthermore, in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the hands 11 to 13 to point to the retreat position indicator 23 or 32, which indicates that the watch is operating in the second mode. This makes it less likely that the first display unit 10 is displaying the time in the second mode.

[0045] The electronic timepiece 1 also includes a third display unit 30, and the solar panel 71 is provided in an area that does not overlap the third display unit 30 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71. In the second mode, the CPU 41 retracts the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to a retracted position where parts of the hands 11 to 13 overlap the third display unit 30. This effectively reduces the area where the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 overlap the solar panel 71.

[0046] Furthermore, in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the third display unit 30 to display the retreat position indicator 32, which indicates that the electronic timepiece 1 is operating in the second mode, and causes the hands 11 to 13 to point to the retreat position indicator 32. This makes it less likely that the first display unit 10 is displaying the time in the second mode will be mistaken. Also, by displaying the retreat position indicator 32 only in the second mode, the design of the electronic timepiece 1 in the first mode can be maintained.

[0047] Furthermore, solar panel 71 is provided in at least a part of the range that does not overlap second display unit 20 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to solar panel 71, and the retracted position is a position where hands 11 to 13 do not overlap second display unit 20 and where the area of ​​the portion of solar panel 71 that is blocked from external light by hands 11 to 13 is minimized. This makes it possible to most effectively reduce the area of ​​the portion where hands 11 to 13 overlap with solar panel 71 without interfering with the display of time by second display unit 20.

[0048] Furthermore, in the second mode, the CPU 41 according to the second modification retracts the hands 11 to 13 to a retracted position where they partially overlap with a portion of the second display unit 20, and displays the time in an area of ​​the second display unit 20 where the hands 11 to 13 do not overlap. This effectively reduces the area where the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 overlap with the solar panel 71. Furthermore, even when the hands 11 to 13 overlap with a portion of the second display unit 20, the second display unit 20 can display the time in a visible manner.

[0049] Furthermore, the control method for the electronic timepiece 1 according to this embodiment switches the operating modes of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20 between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands 11 to 13 of the first display unit 10, and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit 20 while the hands 11 to 13 are retracted to predetermined retracted positions so that less external light is blocked by the hands 11 to 13 than in the first mode. As a result, in the second mode, the time can be displayed by the second display unit 20 while suppressing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71 by retracting the hands 11 to 13 to the retracted positions.

[0050] Furthermore, the program 431 according to this embodiment causes the CPU 41 to function as a control means for controlling the operation modes of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20. The control means switches the operation mode between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands 11 to 13 of the first display unit 10, and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit 20 while the hands 11 to 13 are retracted to predetermined retracted positions so that the amount of external light blocked by the hands 11 to 13 is less than in the first mode. In this way, in the second mode, the time can be displayed by the second display unit 20 while suppressing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71 by retracting the hands 11 to 13 to the retracted positions.

[0051] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and a description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted. The second embodiment may be combined with at least one of Modification 1 and Modification 2 of the first embodiment.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a front view of an electronic timepiece 1 according to a second embodiment, operating in the first mode. The second display unit 20 of this embodiment has a sub-hour hand 21 and a sub-minute hand 22, and displays the time using the sub-hour hand 21 and the sub-minute hand 22. For example, when the first display unit 10 displays the current time, the second display unit 20 displays the local time of a preset city in the world (world time). The sub-hour hand 21 has a smaller area than the hour hand 11, and the sub-minute hand 22 has a smaller area than the minute hand 12. Here, the areas of the hour hand 11, minute hand 12, sub-hour hand 21, and sub-minute hand 22 are the areas occupied by each hand when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71.

[0053] The third display unit 30 has a function hand 33, which indicates various marks to indicate the operation mode, etc. The marks indicated by the function hand 33 include "SW" indicating operation in stopwatch mode, "WT" indicating operation in world time display mode, "TM" indicating operation in timer mode, and "S" indicating operation in the second mode (see FIG. 10). In this embodiment, the "S" mark corresponds to the retracted position mark 32.

[0054] The second display unit 20 is circular and is disposed on the 6 o'clock side of the rotary shaft 101. The third display unit 30 is circular and is disposed on the 12 o'clock side of the rotary shaft 101. Similar to the first display unit 10 of the first embodiment, the second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30 each include a stepping motor driven by a motor drive circuit 110 and a gear train mechanism that transmits the stepping motion of the stepping motor to the sub hour hand 21 and sub minute hand 22 or the function hand 33. The sub hour hand 21 and the sub minute hand 22 may rotate in unison. In other words, the sub hour hand 21 and the sub minute hand 22 may be connected to a gear train mechanism for the sub hour hand 21 and a gear train mechanism for the sub minute hand 22, respectively, that transmit the stepping motion of a common stepping motor.

[0055] The solar panel 71 of this embodiment is provided in an area that overlaps with the circular second display unit 20 and third display unit 30 in a plan view. The solar panel 71 provided inside the in-dial (second display unit 20, third display unit 30) in this way is also called an in-dial solar panel. The in-dial solar panel has the advantage of being able to improve the design of the dial 81 located outside the second display unit 20 and third display unit 30.

[0056] 10 is a front view of the electronic timepiece 1 of the second embodiment operating in the second mode. In this embodiment, in the second mode, the CPU 41 retracts the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 of the first display unit 10 to the retracted position and causes the sub hour hand 21 and sub minute hand 22 of the second display unit 20 to display the time. Because the second display unit 20 does not have a second hand, the CPU 41 causes the second hand 13 of the first display unit 10 to rotate to display the seconds, just as in the first mode. However, this is not limited to this, and all of the hands 11 to 13 may be retracted to the retracted position.

[0057] Because the in-dial solar panel generates power over a small area, power generation efficiency drops significantly when it is partially blocked by the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12. For this reason, the retracted position is determined to be a position where the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 do not overlap with the second display unit 20 and the third display unit 30 (i.e., a position where they do not overlap with the solar panel 71). A retracted position indicator 812 is provided on the dial 81 at a position indicated by the hands 11 to 13 in the retracted position. In other words, in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the hands 11 to 13 to point to the retracted position indicator 812. Furthermore, in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the function hand 33 to point to the retracted position indicator 32.

[0058] The hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 retracted to the retracted position in Figure 10 point to a position closer to 3 o'clock between 2 o'clock and 3 o'clock. This arrangement of the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 is different from any arrangement that may appear while displaying the time. This arrangement is possible by configuring the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to be independently rotatable. By retracting the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to this retracted position, the user can intuitively recognize that the first display unit 10 is not displaying the time.

[0059] FIG. 11 is a front view of another electronic timepiece 1 according to the second embodiment, operating in the first mode. In the electronic timepiece 1 shown in FIG. 11, an annular decorative portion 813 is provided around the second display unit 20 on the dial 81, and an annular decorative portion 814 is provided around the third display unit 30. The decorative portions 813 and 814 are made of opaque materials and correspond to shielding portions that block light. The portion of the dial 81 other than the decorative portions 813, 814, and indexes 811 is a light-transmitting portion 810 (see FIG. 3) that is optically transparent. The decorative portion 813 has hour characters indicating the time displayed by the second display unit 20. The decorative portion 814 has signs indicated by the third display unit 30.

[0060] The solar panel 71 is provided in a range that does not overlap with the decorative portions 813 and 814 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel. That is, the solar panel 71 is provided in a range that overlaps with the interior of the second display portion 20 inside the decorative portion 813, the interior of the third display portion 30 inside the decorative portion 814, and the area of ​​the dial 81 outside the decorative portions 813 and 814. In this specification, the "range in which the solar panel 71 is provided" refers to the range in which light that is incident from the display surface side in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71 is received by the solar panel 71. Therefore, the solar panel 71 may extend to a range that partially overlaps the back side of the decorative portions 813 and 814, and even in such an embodiment, the range in which the solar panel 71 is provided is the colored range in FIG. 12 .

[0061] Fig. 12 is a front view showing the electronic timepiece 1 shown in Fig. 11 operating in the second mode. The retracted positions of the electronic timepiece 1 shown in Fig. 12 are determined to be positions where the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 partially overlap with the decorative parts 813 and 814. The areas where the decorative parts 813 and 814 are located do not contribute to power generation by the solar panel 71, so by retracting the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 so that they partially overlap with the decorative parts 813 and 814, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71. In addition, a retracted position marker 812 is provided on the dial 81 at a position indicated by the hands 11 to 13 in the retracted positions.

[0062] <Effects> As described above, the second display unit 20 of the electronic timepiece 1 according to the second embodiment is equipped with the sub-hour hand 21, which has a smaller area than the hour hand 11, and the sub-minute hand 22, which has a smaller area than the minute hand 12. The solar panel 71 is provided at least in an area that overlaps with the second display unit 20 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71, and in the second mode, the CPU 41 retracts the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 to a retracted position where they do not overlap with the second display unit 20. This makes it possible for an electronic timepiece 1 that uses an in-dial solar panel to display the time on the second display unit 20 while suppressing a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71.

[0063] Furthermore, the hands 11 to 13 further include a second hand 13, and in the second mode, the CPU 41 causes the second display unit 20 to display the hours and minutes, and the second hand of the first display unit 10 to display the seconds. This allows the second display unit 20 to display the seconds in the second mode even if it does not have a second hand.

[0064] Furthermore, the CPU 41 can rotate the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 independently, and in the second mode, the CPU 41 retracts the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 to a retracted position that is different from any position that may appear when the time is being displayed. This allows the user to intuitively recognize that the first display unit 10 is not displaying the time. Therefore, in the second mode, it is less likely that the user will mistakenly believe that the first display unit 10 is displaying the time.

[0065] Furthermore, the watch is provided with a dial 81 having a light-transmitting portion 810 that transmits light and decorative portions 813, 814 that block light, between the hands 11-13 and the solar panel 71, and the solar panel 71 is provided in a range that does not overlap with the decorative portions 813, 814 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the solar panel 71, and in the second mode, the CPU 41 retracts the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 to a retracted position where a portion of the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 overlaps with the decorative portions 813, 814. In this way, the decorative portions 813, 814 can be used to effectively reduce the area where the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 overlap with the solar panel 71.

[0066] (others) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be modified in various ways. For example, while FIG. 4 of the first embodiment and FIG. 8 of the second modification illustrate an example in which the second hand 13 is retracted to the retracted position together with the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12, the present invention is not limited to this. Because the second hand 13 is thinner than the minute hand 12 and therefore has less impact on the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71, in the second mode, only the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 may be retracted to the retracted position, and the second hand 13 may rotate to display the seconds, as in the first mode. Furthermore, instead of having the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 point to the retracted position indicator 23, 32, or 812, the second hand 13 may point to the retracted position indicator 23, 32, or 812 that is provided or displayed at any position.

[0067] Furthermore, although an example has been given in which the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 are retracted to the same retracted position, if there are two or more retracted positions that can effectively avoid a decrease in the power generation efficiency of the solar panel 71, the hour hand 11 and the minute hand 12 may be retracted to separate retracted positions.

[0068] Furthermore, although the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 are configured to be independently rotatable, they may be configured to rotate in unison.

[0069] The area in which the solar panel 71 is provided is not limited to the areas exemplified in the above embodiments and variants, but may be any area in which external light can be blocked by the hour hand 11 and minute hand 12 displaying the time.

[0070] Furthermore, although a wristwatch has been exemplified as the electronic timepiece 1, it may be any other type of timepiece, such as a table clock or a wall clock.

[0071] In the above description, an example has been disclosed in which a flash memory in the storage unit 43 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. Other computer-readable media may be used, such as information recording media including hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs), and CD-ROMs. Furthermore, carrier waves may also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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]

[0074] 1 electronic clock (clock), 10 first display unit, 11 hour hand (hand), 12 minute hand (hand), 13 second hand (hand), 20 second display unit, 21 sub-hour hand, 22 sub-minute hand, 23, 32, 812 evacuation position sign (sign), 30 third display unit, 41 CPU (control unit, control means), 71 solar panel, 81 dial, 810 light-transmitting part, 813, 814 decorative part (shielding part)

Claims

1. a first display unit having a hand; A second display unit; a solar panel provided at a position where external light can be blocked by the hands displaying the time; a control unit that controls operation modes of the first display unit and the second display unit; Equipped with the control unit switches the operation mode between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands of the first display unit and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit while the hands are retracted to a predetermined retracted position such that the amount of external light blocked by the hands is less than in the first mode; clock.

2. the hands include an hour hand and a minute hand; the control unit, in the second mode, retracts the hour hand and the minute hand to the same retracted position so that the hour hand and the minute hand overlap each other.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

3. the control unit moves the hour hand and the minute hand around in an overlapping state, acquires a change over time in the electromotive force generated by the solar panel, and determines the positions of the hour hand and the minute hand at which the electromotive force has a magnitude that satisfies a predetermined condition as the retracted position.

3. The watch according to claim 2.

4. The control unit, in the second mode, causes the hand to point to a predetermined mark indicating that the watch is operating in the second mode.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

5. Further provided with a third display unit, the solar panel is provided in a range that does not overlap with the third display unit when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel, the control unit, in the second mode, retracts the hand to the retracted position where a part of the hand overlaps with the third display unit.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

6. In the second mode, the control unit causing the third display unit to display a predetermined indicator indicating that the device is operating in the second mode; The mark is indicated by the needle.

6. The watch according to claim 5.

7. the solar panel is provided in at least a part of a range that does not overlap with the second display unit when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel, the retracted position is a position where the hand does not overlap the second display unit and where an area of ​​a portion of the solar panel where the external light is blocked by the hand is minimized.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

8. In the second mode, the control unit retracts the hand to the retracted position where a portion of the hand overlaps a portion of the second display unit, and displays the time in an area of ​​the second display unit where the hand does not overlap.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

9. the second display portion includes a sub-hour hand having an area smaller than that of the hour hand and a sub-minute hand having an area smaller than that of the minute hand, the solar panel is provided at least in a range overlapping with the second display unit when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel, the control unit, in the second mode, retracts the hour hand and the minute hand to the retracted position where the hour hand and the minute hand do not overlap the second display unit.

3. The watch according to claim 2.

10. The hands further include a second hand; In the second mode, the control unit causes the second display unit to display hours and minutes, and causes the second hand of the first display unit to display seconds.

3. The watch according to claim 2.

11. The control unit The hour hand and the minute hand can be rotated independently; In the second mode, the hour hand and the minute hand are retracted to the retracted position where an arrangement of the hour hand and the minute hand is different from any arrangement that may appear while displaying time.

3. The watch according to claim 2.

12. a dial having a light-transmitting portion that transmits light and a light-shielding portion that shields light, between the hands and the solar panel; the solar panel is provided in a range that does not overlap with the shielding portion when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the solar panel, In the second mode, the control unit retracts the needle to the retracted position where a part of the needle overlaps the shielding portion.

2. The watch according to claim 1.

13. A display control method executed by a computer for a timepiece including a first display unit having hands, a second display unit, and a solar panel provided at a position where external light can be blocked by the hands displaying the time, comprising: an operation mode of the first display unit and the second display unit is switched between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands of the first display unit and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit while the hands are retracted to a predetermined retracted position where the amount of external light blocked by the hands is less than in the first mode; Display control method.

14. A timepiece computer including a first display unit having hands, a second display unit, and a solar panel provided at a position where external light can be blocked by the hands displaying the time, a control means for controlling the operation modes of the first display unit and the second display unit; It functions as the control means switches the operation mode between a first mode in which the time is displayed by the hands of the first display unit, and a second mode in which the time is displayed by the second display unit while the hands are retracted to a predetermined retracted position so that the amount of external light blocked by the hands is less than in the first mode; program.

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