Pointer display device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a pointer display device, a pointer display operation control method, and a program capable of improving desired processing capability while suppressing an increase in power consumption.SOLUTION: The pointer display device includes a pointer, a first processing unit capable of executing processing for operating the pointer according to a first frequency signal, a second processing unit that performs predetermined communication processing according to a second frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the first frequency signal, an oscillation unit that switches and outputs the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal, and a control unit that controls switching of the frequency signal output by the oscillation unit according to presence or absence of the communication processing and prohibits a specific operation of the pointer by the first processing unit while the second processing unit performs the communication processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are pointer display devices that move a pointer and display the relative position of the pointer with respect to indicators and scales, as well as the pointer's movement pattern. The pointer is moved in steps by a stepping motor or the like. Therefore, in a fast-forward operation in which the display content is changed by successive step movements, it may take some time for the display change to finish, depending on the number of step movements, etc.

[0003] Analog watches and other hand display devices that display time and other information perform various processes at low clock frequencies, allowing them to operate continuously for long periods of time with low power consumption. However, for hand display devices that perform operations such as driving the fast-forward movement of the hands, if a relatively heavy process is performed in parallel with another even heavier process, such as a communication process, the total load can become excessive. Therefore, there is a technology that staggers the timing of multiple processes so that they do not overlap (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-33430 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, hand display devices have become more multifunctional and sophisticated, and so conventional clock frequencies are sometimes unable to process data quickly enough. However, if the clock frequency is increased across the board, the processing load and power consumption increase, making it difficult to continue operating for long periods of time as in the past.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a pointer display device, a pointer display operation control method, and a program that can improve processing capacity as desired while suppressing increases in power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides Guidelines and a first processing unit capable of executing a process for operating the pointer in accordance with a first frequency signal; a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with a second frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the first frequency signal; an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal; a control unit that controls switching of the frequency signal output by the oscillation unit depending on whether the certain process is being executed or not, and prohibits the specific operation of the hands by the first processing unit while the certain process is being executed by the second processing unit; A pointer display device equipped with: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, in a pointer display device, it is possible to achieve a desired improvement in processing capacity while suppressing an increase in power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an electronic timepiece that is a hand display device of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic timepiece. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of notification patterns displayed by a digital display unit. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for an event occurrence information acquisition control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic timepiece 1, which is a hand display device according to this embodiment. The electronic watch 1 comprises a housing 2, a display panel 3, hands 30, a digital display screen 41, and the like.

[0011] The housing 2 houses various components related to the operation of the electronic timepiece 1, such as a microcomputer and battery. The top and bottom of the housing 2 are open, with the display panel 3 located on the top surface (the side from which the user views the display). The display panel 3 has time-indicating markers (hour characters) and scales arranged around its periphery. The hands 30 are rotatable above the display panel 3 in a plane parallel to the display panel 3. Here, three hands 30 are shown as an example: an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand, but the number of hands 30 is not limited to three. Furthermore, all of the hands 30 do not necessarily have to rotate around a common rotation axis near the center. The display panel 3 and the hands 30 are covered above by a transparent crystal glass (not shown).

[0012] The digital display screen 41 is located at the 6 o'clock position on the display panel 3 and provides digital display. The digital display screen 41 has a segment display area 411 that is capable of displaying limited information such as the time and date, and a dot matrix display area 412 that displays characters and signs indicating the days of the week and the like using dots. The digital display screen 41 may be entirely dot matrix display, or may have segments that light up in the form of dedicated signs, and its configuration is not particularly limited.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic watch 1. The electronic watch 1 is, for example, a wristwatch, and includes a CPU 10 (Central Processing Unit) (controller, computer), a memory unit 20, hands 30, a train wheel mechanism 31, a stepping motor 32, a drive unit 33 (first processor), a digital display unit 40 (display unit), a notification operation unit 45, an operation reception unit 50, a communication unit 60, an antenna AN, an oscillator 70, a timing circuit 80, and the like.

[0014] The CPU 10 is a processor that performs arithmetic processing and controls the overall operation of the electronic timepiece 1. The CPU 10 does not have to be a single processor, but may have multiple processors that operate in parallel or independently.

[0015] The storage unit 20 includes a volatile memory, i.e., a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a non-volatile memory. The volatile memory provides a working memory space for the CPU 10 and stores temporary data. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a flash memory, and stores a program 21 and setting data. The setting data includes notification type information 22, which will be described later.

[0016] The stepping motor 32 rotates the rotor relative to the stator by a predetermined angle each time a pulse-like electrical signal is input. The gear train mechanism 31 is a gear train that rotates in response to the rotation of the stepping motor 32, converting the rotation angle of the rotor of the stepping motor 32 into a rotation angle of the hand 30 and transmitting it to the rotation axis of the hand 30. The hand 30 rotates via the gear train mechanism 31 in response to the rotation of the stepping motor 32. The electronic timepiece 1 may have a stepping motor 32 and gear train mechanism 31 for each of the multiple hands 30. Alternatively, there may be multiple hands 30 that rotate in conjunction with a common stepping motor 32 via a gear train mechanism 31 that branches off along the way.

[0017] Based on a control signal input from the CPU 10, the drive unit 33 executes a process of outputting the pulsed electrical signal to the stepping motor 32 as a drive signal for rotating the stepping motor 32 (i.e., the hands 30), thereby rotating the hands 30. The drive unit 33 includes a timer circuit 331. The timer circuit 331 counts the time interval (pulse interval) from when a drive signal is output until the next drive signal can be output. That is, while the timer circuit 331 is counting the pulse interval, no drive signal is output even if a control signal from the CPU 10 reserves the operation of the hands 30. Furthermore, if the next operation is reserved before the timer circuit 331 finishes counting the pulse interval, drive pulses are output consecutively at the pulse interval, causing the hands 30 to rotate at a fast-forward speed (a specific operation). The drive unit 33 may be capable of simultaneously driving multiple stepping motors 32, or may adjust the output timing of each drive signal to output the drive signal exclusively. The operation reservation data is written to a register in the driving unit 33 and is erased when the driving unit 33 outputs a driving signal.

[0018] The digital display unit 40 has the digital display screen 41 described above, and provides a simple digital display on this digital display screen 41 under the control of the CPU 10. The digital display screen 41 is, for example, a liquid crystal display screen, but is not limited to this. The digital display screen 41 may also be, for example, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescent) display screen. As described above, the digital display screen 41 includes a segment display area 411 and a dot matrix display area 412.

[0019] The annunciation unit 45 performs an annunciation operation to notify the user of the electronic timepiece 1 under the control of the CPU 10. The annunciation operation is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, the output of a sound such as a beep, or the generation of a vibration. The mechanism for the sound output or the generation of the vibration may be a conventionally known device, such as an oscillator circuit or a motor with a weight.

[0020] The operation reception unit 50 receives external input operations from a user or the like, and outputs an input signal based on this input operation to the CPU 10. The operation reception unit 50 has, for example, one or more push button switches and a crown. In this case, the input operations that are received may include pressing the push button switch, and pulling out, pushing back, and rotating the crown.

[0021] The communication unit 60 controls wireless communication with an external device via the antenna AN in accordance with a communication standard. The communication standard that the communication unit 60 can control is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). In particular, the communication unit 60 may be capable of communication according to the Bluetooth low energy standard (referred to as BLE). Alternatively, the communication standard may include various standards related to wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The communication unit 60 performs communication processing (certain processing) in accordance with a second clock signal, as described below. The communication unit 60 corresponds to a second processing unit of the present invention. The communication unit 60 has a temporary storage unit 61. The temporary storage unit 61 is a register, which can temporarily store (buffer, etc.) transmitted and received data.

[0022] The oscillator 70 oscillates a signal of a certain frequency and outputs the oscillated signal as a clock signal. The oscillator 70 has a first circuit 71 and a second circuit 72 that output signals of different frequencies. The first circuit 71 oscillates and outputs a signal of, for example, 32 to 64 kHz as a first clock signal (first frequency signal). The second circuit 72 oscillates and outputs a second clock signal (second frequency signal) of 2 MHz, which is higher in frequency than the first clock signal, using an oscillator different from that used in the first circuit 71. The oscillator 70 selectively switches between the first clock signal and the second clock signal and outputs the signal to the CPU 10. The CPU 10 outputs one of the input first clock signal and second clock signal to the drive unit 33 or the communication unit 60. The oscillator 70 may also have a frequency divider circuit that converts the oscillated frequency to another frequency and outputs the signal.

[0023] The timing circuit 80 counts the passage of time based on a signal input from the oscillator 70 via the CPU 10 and stores the date and time. The timing circuit 80 may be a specific hardware circuit, or the CPU 10 may count and store the date and time in RAM in the storage unit 20. The date and time stored by the timing circuit 80 may be correctable as needed based on date and time data acquired from an external device via the communication unit 60. The stored date and time may be the time zone (local time) to which the electronic watch 1 is currently located, or may be fixed to a specific time zone. In addition, an electronic watch 1 capable of simultaneously displaying the time in multiple time zones (for example, the time in the current location: base time, and the time in another location set by the user: dual time), the time in the multiple time zones may be counted and stored in parallel. Time zone information may be stored separately in the storage unit 20. This information may be used to display the time zone (such as the name of the city that represents the time zone), or, if the date and time of a specific time zone is stored, to convert it to local time in the time zone to which the current location of the electronic clock 1 or the location of the object to be displayed belongs. In addition, the components that perform control operations such as the CPU 10, drive unit 33, and communication unit 60 may actually operate in part or in whole using a common hardware processor, or each may operate using a separate hardware processor (such as a microcomputer).

[0024] Next, the operation control of the pointer 30 will be described. The rotation of the hands 30 is triggered by the output (interrupt processing) of a control signal (operation reservation) from the CPU 10 to the drive unit 33 to move the hands 30 in either direction of rotation. When the control signal is input, the drive unit 33 outputs a drive signal to the stepping motor 32 during the period in which operation is not prohibited by the counting of the timer circuit 331 as described above, thereby rotating the rotor of the stepping motor 32. In response to the rotation of the rotor, the hands 30 rotate via the gear train mechanism 31.

[0025] The CPU 10 stores position information for each pointer 30 in its own register and updates this position information each time it outputs a control signal to the drive unit 33. When fast-forwarding the pointer 30 by a plurality of steps, if a fast-forward destination position is determined, the CPU 10 stores the fast-forward destination position information in a register and sequentially outputs control signals to the drive unit 33 at the above-mentioned pulse intervals until the current position of the pointer 30 becomes equal to the fast-forward destination position or until a fast-forward end command is obtained. The maximum fast-forward speed has an upper limit determined mechanically by factors such as rotor torque and inertia, and is, for example, 16 Hz to 120 Hz. Here, as an example, the maximum fast-forward speed is set to 64 Hz. The fast-forward speed may be different for clockwise fast-forward and counterclockwise fast-forward. The fast-forward speed may also be variable. The timer circuit 331 of the drive unit 33, for example, counts the 32 kHz signal as the first clock signal output by the first circuit 71 for 1 / 64 seconds (500 times) each time a drive signal is output, thereby setting the fast-forward speed to 64 Hz.

[0026] Fast-forward operations include, but are not limited to, changing the local time (time zone) of the displayed time (including switching between base time and dual time), changing the time related to the start and end of daylight saving time, and moving the hands 30 away from and back onto the digital display screen 41. In addition, when the date is displayed using a rotating disk or the like, changing the date can also be included in fast-forward operations.

[0027] Furthermore, as described above, the specific operation is not limited to the fast-forward operation in which the destination of the hand 30 is designated and the hand 30 continues to move at a predetermined speed (time interval) until it reaches the destination position, but may also include the operation of the hand 30 related to the basic function, i.e., the entire operation of the hand including the operation at time intervals shorter than the basic operation, such as rotating the second hand at one-step intervals (including, but not limited to, one-second intervals for the second hand, ten-second intervals for the minute hand, and two-minute intervals for the hour hand), as an operation with a high processing load equivalent to the fast-forward operation. Such specific operations may include, for example, an operation in which a measurement value corresponding to a measurement operation of a sensor or the like is displayed in real time (for example, 1 Hz or higher), an operation in which the measured time in a stopwatch function or the like is displayed to a value less than one second, etc.

[0028] Next, the communication operation and the event occurrence notification operation will be described. The electronic watch 1 is communicatively connected to an external device, such as a smartphone, via BLE. The communication connection may be maintained at all times (in BLE, when there is no actual data to send or receive, control data is exchanged periodically at longer intervals than when actual data is sent or received). However, the communication connection may be severed if, for example, the communication process is intentionally stopped by a user operation on the electronic watch 1 or the external device, if the communication process is stopped due to a low battery, or if the electronic watch 1 and the external device are not within a communicable distance range (link loss). Received data is temporarily stored in the temporary storage unit 61 and then sequentially transferred to the storage unit 20.

[0029] Information relating to the occurrence of an event in an external device (event occurrence information) can be sent to the electronic watch 1 according to the settings of the external device, etc. The electronic watch 1 can notify the occurrence of this event according to the received event occurrence information. The settings in the external device are not particularly limited, but may be made by a dedicated application program (app) that corresponds to the notification operation of the event occurrence in the electronic watch 1. When the setting information is updated by this app, this setting information is sent to the electronic watch 1 while a communication connection with the electronic watch 1 is established. The notification type information 22 is updated based on this setting information.

[0030] Event types for which event occurrence information is sent to the electronic watch 1 include, for example, incoming phone calls, received emails, received messages on social networking services (SNS), and notifications of registered schedules. These events are predetermined and stored in the notification type information 22. The external device may be able to set whether or not to notify the occurrence of each event type. When the electronic watch 1 receives this event occurrence information, the event type is identified, and a notification operation (predetermined notification operation) is performed on the digital display unit 40 to display an indication of the identified event type. The event type is identified, for example, from the header content of the received data. Event types that cannot be identified from the header content may be uniformly classified as "other" types, or if an event type can be identified or inferred from content other than the header, such as the body, that portion of the received data, such as the body, may be analyzed.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a notification pattern displayed by the digital display unit 40. As shown in FIG. Indicators (icons, etc.) of notification patterns corresponding to the event type may be displayed in the dot matrix display area 412 of the digital display unit 40. When information related to an incoming call is received, an icon representing a call is displayed, as shown in Fig. 3(a). This display may be repeated at predetermined time intervals, such as two black and white inverted images with white and black portions inverted relative to each other, as indicated by the arrows (the same applies to the following icons).

[0032] When an email is received, an envelope icon shown in FIG. 3(b) is displayed. When an SNS message is received, a speech bubble icon shown in FIG. 3(c) is displayed. When a schedule notification is received, a calendar icon shown in FIG. 3(d) is displayed. When a notification of a type other than those described above is received, an icon shown in FIG. 3(e) is displayed. Image data of these icons may also be included in the notification type information 22 and stored in association with the event type.

[0033] Next, the operation control relating to the switching of the clock signal will be described. In the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, the CPU 10, drive unit 33, digital display unit 40, operation acceptance unit 50, and other components operate with a low processing load and operate satisfactorily based on the first clock signal output by the first circuit 71. Meanwhile, among the operations of the electronic timepiece 1, the communication processing by the communication unit 60 is performed according to the second clock signal output by the second circuit 72 in order to process data in real time according to the communication speed. Therefore, while the communication processing is being performed by the communication unit 60 (depending on whether or not communication processing is being performed), the clock signal output by the oscillation unit 70 is switched from the first clock signal to the second clock signal under the control of the CPU 10. Accordingly, each component that normally operates based on the first clock signal also switches to operate based on the second clock signal. During the generation and output of the second clock signal, power consumption and heat generation temporarily increase compared to during the generation and output of the first clock signal. Therefore, once the communication processing is completed, the output of the oscillation unit 70 is switched back to the first clock signal by the CPU 10.

[0034] The communication process here includes processes related to acquiring the event occurrence information and identifying the event type. While the communication connection is maintained, event occurrence information is received one by one. On the other hand, if the communication connection is interrupted for a while while event notification is enabled, as in the above examples, the event occurrence information data to be transmitted is accumulated in the external device and transmitted collectively after the communication connection is resumed (transitioning from a disconnected state to an established state). In particular, smartphones running iOS as their operating system (OS) do not perform integrated transmission control of data related to multiple events (apps). Therefore, all accumulated event occurrence information data is continuously received by the communication unit 60 at once, and the amount of data received at one time easily exceeds the capacity of the temporary storage unit 61, resulting in overflow. By promptly processing the received data stored in the temporary storage unit 61 in response to the second clock signal and transferring the necessary data to the storage unit 20, the reception process of the event occurrence information data can be stably continued.

[0035] The fast-forward movement of the hands 30 places a heavy load on the processing that can be performed using the first clock signal. Therefore, in order to enable operational control of the fast-forward movement of the hands 30 in response to changes in the frequency signal, the configuration becomes more complex, and the further increase in the processing load (increase in power consumption) of the electronic timepiece 1 becomes non-negligible. In addition, the drive unit 33 may uniformly prohibit updating of data related to fast-forward movement using signals other than the first clock signal.

[0036] Therefore, in the electronic timepiece 1, the fast-forward movement (specific movement) of the hands 30 is prohibited while the communication process is being performed. The hands 30 that were in the middle of fast-forward movement are paused at the midpoint (fast-forward movement is temporarily interrupted), and after the communication process is completed, the fast-forward movement is resumed and the hands move to the target position. If a command to perform fast-forward movement of the hands 30 is acquired during the execution of the communication process, the execution of the fast-forward movement is put on hold and put on hold, and after the communication process is completed, the fast-forward movement is started and executed.

[0037] The timing of the end of the communication process may be acquired in real time. Alternatively, a time (maximum value) for which the fast-forward operation is prohibited before resumption of the fast-forward operation may be determined based on the communication volume predicted according to conditions (e.g., the OS, the communication connection status, etc.). The communication volume prediction may take into account not only whether the communication connection will be resumed but also, for example, the length of the communication interruption. Furthermore, the communication volume may be predicted more dynamically based on past performance, such as the number of events occurring during the same time period on the previous day or a recent period. Here, if a condition is met in which the predicted communication volume (including not only event occurrence information but also control data and other communication data related to the establishment of a communication connection) is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard, a longer prohibition time (first prohibition time, e.g., 12 seconds) is set. If the communication volume is predicted to be low, a shorter prohibition time (second prohibition time, e.g., 2 seconds) than the first prohibition time is set, but this is not limited to this. If a more detailed and quantitative prediction of the communication volume is possible, the first prohibition time may be dynamically changed, or three or more stages of prohibition time may be set. Furthermore, if the expected communication volume (event occurrence information) is large (satisfies the above conditions), even if notifications are sent for all event occurrences, there may be duplications or the events may no longer be meaningful to the user due to the passage of time since the event occurred, which does not necessarily improve user convenience. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 may ignore the initial event occurrence information received in the order in which the events occurred, and after a reference time (here, for example, 10 seconds; the first prohibited time is longer than the reference time) has elapsed from the start of reception, obtain only the intermediate or final (most recent) event occurrence information, store it in the memory unit 20, and perform a notification operation for some event types identified from the stored event occurrence information.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control procedure by the CPU 10 of the event occurrence information acquisition control process executed in the electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment. This event occurrence information acquisition control process is initiated when the communication unit 60 is operating and is set to acquire predetermined types of information from an external device (this may be limited to cases where the above-mentioned event occurrence information is included), and the communication unit 60 actually receives data from the external device, for example, at each communication timing while a communication connection is established, particularly when the communication unit 60 sends a request to send actual data to the external device, or when the communication unit 60 receives an advertisement for its own device and then receives a communication connection request, and this information is notified from the communication unit 60.

[0039] When the event occurrence information acquisition control process is started, the CPU 10 determines whether the hands 30 are currently being fast-forwarded (step S101). If it is determined that the hands 30 are currently being fast-forwarded ("YES" in step S101), the CPU 10 stops outputting a control signal to the drive unit 33 to stop the fast-forwarding (step S102). Then, the process by the CPU 10 proceeds to step S103. If it is determined that the hands 30 are not currently being fast-forwarded ("NO" in step S101), the process by the CPU 10 proceeds to step S103.

[0040] When the process moves from steps S101 and S102 to step S103, the CPU 10 causes the oscillator 70 to operate the second circuit 72, output a second clock signal from the second circuit 72, and output the input second clock signal to the drive unit 33, the communication unit 60, etc. (step S103).

[0041] The CPU 10 determines whether the OS type of the external device that is the sender of the received data is iOS by Apple Inc. (step S104). OS information may be stored separately in advance in association with BLE pairing information (bonding information) or the like, and may be obtained by referencing this stored information.

[0042] If it is determined that the OS type of the external device is iOS ("YES" in step S104), the CPU 10 determines whether the current communication is occurring due to recovery from a link loss or due to startup of the communication unit 60 (step S105). If it is determined that the communication is occurring due to recovery from a link loss or due to startup of the communication unit 60 ("YES" in step S105), the CPU 10 sets the inhibition time from the start of acquisition of received data in the processing of the next step S107 (or from the current time or from the start of the event occurrence information acquisition control processing; either makes little difference) until fast-forward operation of the hands 30 is enabled to 12 seconds (step S106). The CPU 10 sequentially acquires received data from the temporary storage unit 61 of the communication unit 60 and stores it in the storage unit 20. At this time, the CPU 10 may erase the data from the start of reception for 10 seconds without retaining it (step S107). Alternatively, the CPU 10 may successively overwrite and update the event occurrence information in the storage unit 20 so that only the last event occurrence information remains. Then, the processing of the CPU 10 proceeds to step S121.

[0043] If it is determined in the determination process of step S104 that the OS of the external device that is the sender of the received data is not iOS ("NO" in step S104), the process of the CPU 10 proceeds to step S111. If it is determined in the determination process of step S105 that the current communication is not being performed due to recovery from a link loss, and is not being performed in conjunction with the startup of the communication unit 60 ("NO" in step S105), the processing of the CPU 10 proceeds to step S111.

[0044] When the determination process in step S104 or step S105 branches to "NO" and the process proceeds to step S111, the CPU 10 sets the inhibition time from the start of acquisition of received data in the process of the next step S112 (or from the current time or from the start of the event occurrence information acquisition control process) until fast-forward movement of the hands 30 is enabled to 2 seconds (step S111). The CPU 10 acquires the received data from the temporary storage unit 61 of the communication unit 60 and stores it in the storage unit 20 (step S112). Then, the process of the CPU 10 proceeds to step S121.

[0045] When the process proceeds from step S107 or step S112 to step S121, the CPU 10 determines whether a new fast-forward command has been acquired (step S121). If it is determined that a new fast-forward command has been acquired ("YES" in step S121), the CPU 10 causes the announcing unit 45 to issue a sound (beep) announcing that a command has been acquired, and also sets the fast-forward operation to standby, prohibiting fast-forwarding until the time set in steps S106 and S111 for enabling fast-forwarding has elapsed (step S122). At this time, if the interrupted fast-forward settings (fast-forward destination position and fast-forward direction) are to be updated, the CPU 10 may erase the interrupted fast-forward settings. Then, the process proceeds to step S123. If it is determined in the determination process of step S121 that a new command for fast-forwarding has not been acquired ("NO" in step S121), the process of the CPU 10 proceeds to step S123.

[0046] When the process proceeds from step S121 or step S122 to step S123, the CPU 10 identifies the type of received content (type of event related to the event occurrence information) from the acquired received data based on the notification type information 22 (step S123). The CPU 10 acquires image data of an icon corresponding to the identified content type (event type) from the notification type information 22, and causes the digital display unit 40 to display the icon corresponding to the image data in the dot matrix display area 412 of the digital display screen 41 (step S124).

[0047] The CPU 10 determines whether reception from the external device has ended (step S125). If it is determined that reception from the external device has not ended ("NO" in step S125), the processing of the CPU 10 returns to step S121. If it is determined that reception from the external device has ended ("YES" in step S125), the CPU 10 controls the oscillator 70 to change the second circuit 72 from outputting the second clock signal back to outputting the first clock signal by the first circuit 71, and outputs the first clock signal output from the oscillator 70 to the drive unit 33 and, if necessary, to the communication unit 60 (to execute processing in a standby state where communication is not performed) (step S126). Note that the CPU 10 may not automatically return the clock signal it outputs to the first clock signal until the above-defined prohibition time has elapsed. If reception has not ended even after the prohibition time has elapsed, the prohibition time may be extended.

[0048] The CPU 10 determines whether a command to erase the icon displayed in the dot matrix display area 412 has been acquired by the operation acceptance unit 50, or whether a specified time has elapsed since the icon was displayed (step S127). If it is determined that a command to erase the icon has been acquired or that a specified time has elapsed since the icon was displayed ("YES" in step S127), the CPU 10 causes the digital display unit 40 to erase the icon display in the dot matrix display area 412 (step S128). The CPU 10 ends the event occurrence information acquisition control process. If it is determined that a command to erase the icon has not been acquired and that a specified time has not elapsed since the icon was displayed ("NO" in step S127), the process of the CPU 10 repeats step S127.

[0049] The process of step S103, the determination process of step S125, and the process of step S126 constitute a frequency control step (frequency control means of program 21) in the pointer movement control method of this embodiment. Also, the process of step S102, the determination process of step S121, and the process of step S122 constitute a specific movement prohibition step (specific movement prohibition means of program 21) in the pointer movement control method of this embodiment.

[0050] In addition, if new event occurrence information is received after the processing of step S126 is completed but before the event occurrence information acquisition control processing is completed, a new event occurrence information acquisition control processing may be started in parallel, and display may be performed in the processing of step S124 in this new processing, thereby treating the processing of step S128 in the previously executed event occurrence information acquisition control processing as having been executed, and the previous event occurrence information acquisition control processing may be terminated.

[0051] As described above, the electronic watch 1 as a hand display device of this embodiment comprises the hand 30, a drive unit 33 as a first processing unit capable of executing processing to operate the hand 30 in accordance with a first clock signal, a communication unit 60 as a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process, such as communication processing, in accordance with a second clock signal having a higher frequency than the first clock signal, an oscillation unit 70 that switches between the first clock signal and the second clock signal and outputs them, and a CPU 10 as a control unit that controls the switching of the clock signal output by the oscillation unit 70 depending on whether the certain process is being executed ("YES" in step S101, "YES" in steps S102 and S125, and step S126 in FIG. 4), and prohibits the drive unit 33 from performing a specific operation of the hand 30 while the second processing unit is performing the certain process ("YES" in step S101, steps S102 and S122 in FIG. 4). In this way, a high-frequency second clock signal is output only when processing according to a high-frequency frequency signal is required, which results in an increase in processing load and power consumption, but by prohibiting specific operations of the hands 30, which do not necessarily require high real-time performance, while the second clock signal is being output, the electronic watch 1 can improve the desired processing capabilities while suppressing an increase in power consumption (and ultimately an increase in product size).

[0052] Furthermore, if the second processing unit starts the above-mentioned certain process while the driver 33 is causing the hands 30 to perform a specific operation ("YES" in step S101 of FIG. 4), the CPU 10 temporarily suspends the specific operation of the hands 30 (step S102). That is, not only does it prevent the specific operation from being started in the middle of a certain process based on the high-frequency second clock signal, but it also suspends a specific operation that has already started, allowing the process of the second processing unit to be executed promptly and smoothly. In an electronic timepiece 1 in which it is generally unlikely that the above-mentioned certain process based on the second clock signal will be executed continuously for a long period of time, this makes it possible to easily execute high-priority processes more smoothly while suppressing increases in power consumption and product size.

[0053] Furthermore, a specific operation is a hand operation that generates a processing load higher than the processing load of an operation related to the basic function (i.e., time display operation) of the hand display device (for example, the electronic clock 1 in this case). In a display that requires the hands 30 to move more frequently than time display, the processing load related to the hand operation is large even if it is not a fast-forward operation. By including such hand operations that generate a high processing load in the specific operation and prohibiting the specific operation while the above-mentioned certain process is being executed, it is possible to avoid excessive power consumption all at once and appropriately improve the processing capacity of high-load processes (such as communication processes) that require operation with the second clock signal.

[0054] Furthermore, the specific operation is the fast-forward operation of the hands 30. Since the processing load of the fast-forward operation is large, when operating with the second clock signal, which inherently consumes a lot of power, prohibiting this fast-forward operation is limited to the above-mentioned certain processes that require operation with the second clock signal and basic control processes that must continue regardless of the frequency of the clock signal, thereby preventing the processing load from becoming excessive and improving the processing capacity of the required processes. Furthermore, when processing related to fast-forward operations, particularly write operations to registers, is premised on operation at the first clock signal frequency, prohibiting operation at the second clock signal makes it possible to easily improve the processing capacity of the above-mentioned processing at the second clock signal while suppressing an increase in the size of the configuration of the drive unit 33 and an increase in the complexity of the processing.

[0055] The electronic watch 1, which is a hand display device, also includes a communication unit 60 that communicates with external devices. The above-mentioned processing in accordance with the high-frequency second clock signal includes communication processing with external devices by the communication unit 60. In communication processing for sending and receiving data to and from a specific device, the communication time of the external device is affected depending on the data transmission interval, so increasing the frequency of the frequency signal enables smoother data transmission and reception.

[0056] The electronic watch 1, which functions as a hand display device, also includes a memory unit 20 for storing data. The communication unit 60 includes a temporary memory unit 61 for temporarily storing received data. When the condition related to the expected amount of data received from the external device is met (steps S104 and S105 are both "YES"), the CPU 10, acting as the control unit, acquires the received data from the temporary memory unit 61 after a reference time has elapsed since the start of data reception and stores it in the memory unit 20 (step S107). In other words, when a large amount of data is expected to be received, the initially received data may be discarded without being acquired. Data displayed by the electronic watch 1 often requires urgency and substitutability to obtain content that cannot be directly confirmed on the electronic watch 1, and the value of acquiring and using old information over time is relatively low compared to new information. In this way, by discarding old information and acquiring only new information, the electronic watch 1 can reduce processing and improve user convenience. Furthermore, when the communication unit 60 communicates via Bluetooth, if the received data stored in the temporary memory unit 61 cannot be processed and an overflow occurs, the communication connection itself is disconnected, and the data to be received cannot be properly acquired, resulting in the communication connection having to be re-established. Therefore, the electronic watch 1 can stably acquire the necessary information while avoiding such problems.

[0057] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned condition related to the amount of received data is met ("YES" in both steps S104 and S105), the CPU 10 determines a first inhibition time longer than a reference time, for example, 10 seconds, from the start of data reception, for example, 12 seconds, as the period during which fast-forward movement of the hands 30 is prohibited (step S106), and if the above-mentioned condition is not met, it determines a second inhibition time shorter than the first inhibition time, for example, 2 seconds, as the period during which fast-forward movement of the hands 30 is prohibited (step S111). By setting a prohibition time for fast-forward movement of the hands 30 in advance for communication operations, particularly when receiving event occurrence information, the processing load can be reduced and communication processing can be executed more smoothly.

[0058] The above conditions may also include reception occurring when communication with the external device transitions from a disconnected state to an established communication connection (step S105). Because it is difficult to obtain the actual amount of received data when reception from the external device begins, the electronic timepiece 1 can selectively obtain highly necessary information while reducing the processing load by including as a condition a situation in which it is indirectly estimated that the amount of received data will be large.

[0059] The above conditions may also include the type of operating system of the external device (step S104). When receiving information related to multiple apps from an external device, the processing load on the electronic watch 1 when receiving data may vary depending on whether the OS of the external device performs overall output control. Therefore, by using OS information as a factor in determining whether to selectively acquire received data, the electronic watch 1 can selectively acquire highly necessary information while reducing the processing load.

[0060] Furthermore, the CPU 10 as a control unit causes the communication unit 60 to receive information about a predetermined event occurring in an external device, and when the event information is received (step S123), it performs control to execute a predetermined notification operation, in this embodiment, displaying a sign (icon) on the digital display unit 40 (step S124). The event occurrence notification operation in the electronic timepiece 1 is effective in situations where the user cannot hold or have the external device close at hand, and it is important that such information is reported quickly. By quickly receiving such information in accordance with the second clock signal and reducing power consumption, the convenience of the electronic timepiece 1 for the user can be improved.

[0061] The electronic watch 1 also includes a digital display unit 40. The CPU 10 as a control unit identifies the type of event related to the received occurrence information and performs a notification operation by displaying an icon indicating the identified type on the digital display unit 40 (step S124). By performing the notification operation related to the occurrence of an event by displaying on the digital display screen 41, the user's ability to easily distinguish the event type can be improved compared to other notification operations such as audio patterns or vibration patterns.

[0062] Furthermore, when the communication unit 60 receives multiple types of event occurrence information from an external device in succession, the CPU 10 as the control unit controls the digital display unit 40 to display only some of the multiple types. As described above, the speed of notification is important for the event occurrence notification operation, and displaying all of the oldest events in order would result in displays that are less useful to the user being mixed in, and the display time would be longer or the same displays would be duplicated, reducing user convenience. Therefore, by selecting only displays related to some types and narrowing down the notification content to be conveyed to the user, the electronic watch 1 can improve user convenience.

[0063] In addition, the above-mentioned partial types may be types related to the most recently received event information. In other words, by displaying only the type of the most recently occurred event, emphasis is placed on the speed of the information, making it easier for the user to make decisions regarding information acquisition.

[0064] The method for controlling the operation of hand display in this embodiment also includes a first output step of outputting the first clock signal or the second clock signal output by the oscillator 70 to the drive unit 33, a second output step of controlling whether or not to output the second clock signal to the communication unit 60, which is a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process (for example, communication processing) (both the first output step and the second output step are steps S103 to S126), a frequency control step of controlling the switching of the oscillator 70, which switches between the first clock signal and the second clock signal and outputs them, depending on whether or not the communication unit 60 is performing the certain process, which is the certain process (steps S103, "YES" in S125, S126), and a specific operation prohibition step of prohibiting the drive unit 33 from fast-forwarding the hand 30 as a specific operation while the communication unit 60, which is a second processing unit, is performing the certain process (steps S102, "YES" in step S121, S122). In this way, the second clock signal is output only when processing according to a high-frequency frequency signal is required, and during this time, a control operation is performed to prohibit fast-forward movement of the hands 30, thereby controlling the operation of the hands so as to suppress an increase in power consumption of the electronic watch 1 and improve the desired processing capacity.

[0065] In addition, the program 21 of this embodiment causes the computer (CPU 10) of the electronic watch 1 to function as a first output means that outputs the first clock signal or the second clock signal output by the oscillator 70 to the drive unit 33, a second output means that controls whether or not to output the second clock signal to the communication unit 60, which is a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process (for example, communication processing) (both the first output means and the second output means are steps S103 to S126), a frequency control means that controls the switching of the oscillator 70, which switches between and outputs the first clock signal and the second clock signal, depending on whether or not the certain process (communication processing of the communication unit 60) is being performed (steps S103, "YES" in S125, S126), and a fast-forward prohibition means that prohibits the drive unit 33 from performing a fast-forward operation as a specific operation of the hands 30 while the communication unit 60, which is a second processing unit, is performing processing with the second clock signal (steps S102, "YES" in step S121, S122). By installing such a program 21 in a hand display device that can selectively output two types of clock signals and having it control the operation of the hands, it is possible to control the operation of the hands in a way that easily reduces the increase in power consumption and improves the desired processing capacity without adding additional components to make the electronic watch 1 larger or more complex.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the fast-forward movement of the hands is prohibited depending on the conditions, and the time from the start of the above-mentioned certain processing until the timing when the fast-forward movement is enabled (fast-forward movement prohibition time) is set, but whether fast-forward movement of the hands is permitted may be determined only by whether or not communication processing is performed, and only whether or not received data is read or discarded may be determined by the above-mentioned conditions. Alternatively, if only the most recent event occurrence information is always obtained, the CPU 10 may overwrite and update the event occurrence information data each time an event occurs, without even determining this condition.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the execution of communication processing (certain processing) is always prioritized over fast-forwarding (specific processing), but this is not limiting. It is sufficient that fast-forwarding and communication processing are not performed simultaneously. For example, if the remaining time of fast-forwarding is short, transmission and reception of data (other than control data, etc.) via communication processing may begin after fast-forwarding is completed.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when a command to start fast-forward (a specific operation) is acquired during execution of a communication process (a certain process), the announcing operation unit 45 performs an announcing operation. However, the announcing operation does not have to be always performed. For example, the announcing operation may be performed only when a command for fast-forward operation is manually acquired by the operation receiving unit 50, and the announcing operation may not be performed when the fast-forward start command is issued because the internal processing of the CPU 10 determines that it is time to start the fast-forward operation, regardless of user operation. Alternatively, the announcing operation may not be performed regardless of the type of start command. Furthermore, whether or not an announcing operation is performed may be switchable by setting.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as soon as the type of acquired event occurrence information is identified, an icon corresponding to the content type is displayed on the digital display unit 40, but it is also possible to display an icon corresponding to the type of event occurrence information last obtained after reception is completed.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when multiple event occurrence information is received, the type of one or some of the most recent occurring events is selectively displayed, but this is not limited to this. Even if the information is somewhat old, depending on the type of event, it may be highly useful to the user. Therefore, a usefulness determination criterion may be set in advance, and it may be determined whether or not to display (notify) each old event. Even in this case, overlapping events may be aggregated into a single display and not displayed multiple times.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the content received from the external device has been described as event occurrence information, but in reality, other information may also be received. Even in this case, the criteria for determining whether or not event occurrence information can be received in a lump are the same, so the same processing as described in the above embodiment is possible. Furthermore, if it is determined in the determination processing of step S123 in FIG. 4 that the received content does not include event occurrence information, the CPU 10 simply omits the processing related to displaying and erasing the icon on the digital display screen 41 (steps S124, S127, and S128).

[0072] Furthermore, while the above embodiment describes the hands 30 as rotating around a rotation axis, the electronic timepiece 1 may have hands that move parallel within a set range. Even if the hands rotate, they may not be able to rotate 360 ​​degrees, but may only move back and forth within a certain angular range. The hands referred to here include rotating disks and other devices that can be operated by a stepping motor for display purposes. In some cases, the hands 30 are divided into multiple groups, each with a different display operation. In this case, the display operation of a group that performs a display operation with a processing load greater than the processing load of the display operation related to the basic function (i.e., the time display operation in the electronic timepiece 1) may be prohibited while the above-mentioned certain processing is being performed.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the event type is described as being specified and displayed, but the type may be specified in more detail. For example, SNSs may be specified separately for each app. Alternatively, conversely, the event type may not be specified, and only the occurrence of an event in an external device may be notified. In this case, the notification method is not limited to display, but the user can more easily recognize the occurrence of an event. Furthermore, the real-time notification operation itself is not essential to the present invention. For example, log information may be received and acquired, and data may be later called up and displayed by an input operation accepted by the operation acceptance unit 50. Furthermore, the data received and notified may not be event occurrence information, but simple navigation data, for example.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the external device is assumed to operate to transmit the event occurrence information regardless of whether the communication connection is maintained or disconnected, but this is not limiting. While the communication connection is disconnected after normal processing, the external device may not be performing processing to transmit the event occurrence information.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, communication processing has been described as an example of a certain process, but the present invention is not limited to this. A high-load process that requires temporarily increasing the frequency, such as real-time measurement and analysis using a sensor, may also be considered as the certain process performed by the second clock signal.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hand display device has been described as an electronic watch 1, but is not limited to this. Any display device that uses hands to display and that may perform specific operations that have a greater processing load than the operation of the hands 30 related to basic functions, such as fast-forwarding the position of the hands, may be used. In this case, since the processing load of the hand operation is large even during the display operation of the display device, it is possible to prohibit the entire hand operation as a specific operation during execution of a certain process (communication process), not limited to fast-forwarding.

[0077] In the above description, the storage unit 20, which is a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, has been used as an example of a computer-readable medium for storing the program 21 including the pointer movement control according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Other computer-readable media include nonvolatile memories such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and MRAMs, and portable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD discs. Furthermore, a carrier wave is also applicable to the present invention as a medium for providing the program data according to the present invention via a communication line. In addition, the specific configurations, contents and procedures of the processing operations, etc. shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[0078] Although several 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. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are as follows. The claim numbers described in the appendix are the same as those of the claims originally attached to this application.

[0079] [Note] <Claim 1> Guidelines and a first processing unit capable of executing a process for operating the pointer in accordance with a first frequency signal; a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with a second frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the first frequency signal; an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal; a control unit that controls switching of the frequency signal output by the oscillation unit depending on whether the certain process is being executed or not, and prohibits the specific operation of the hands by the first processing unit while the certain process is being executed by the second processing unit; A pointer display device comprising: <Claim 2> The pointer display device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit temporarily suspends the specific operation when the second processing unit starts the certain process while the first processing unit is causing the pointer to perform the specific operation. <Claim 3> 3. The hand display device according to claim 1, wherein the specific operation is an operation of the hand that generates a processing load higher than the processing load of the operation of the hand related to the basic function of the hand display device. <Claim 4> 4. The pointer display device according to claim 1, wherein the specific operation is a fast-forward operation of the pointer. <Claim 5> the second processing unit has a communication unit that communicates with an external device, The certain process includes a communication process with an external device by the communication unit. 5. The pointer display device according to claim 1. <Claim 6> A storage unit for storing data is provided, the communication unit has a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores received data; When a condition related to an amount of data expected to be received from an external device is satisfied, the control unit acquires received data after a reference time has elapsed since the start of data reception from the temporary storage unit and stores the data in the storage unit. The pointer display device according to claim 5. <Claim 7> The control unit determines, when the condition related to the amount of received data is satisfied, a first prohibition time longer than a reference time from the start of data reception as a period during which the specific operation of the hands is prohibited, and when the condition is not satisfied, determines, when the condition is satisfied, a second prohibition time shorter than the first prohibition time as a period during which the specific operation of the hands is prohibited. The pointer display device according to claim 6. <Claim 8> 8. The indicator display device according to claim 6, wherein the condition includes reception occurring when a transition is made from a state in which communication with an external device has been disconnected to a state in which communication connection has been established. <Claim 9> 9. The indicator display device according to claim 6, wherein the conditions include the type of operating system of the external device. <Claim 10> The pointer display device according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the control unit causes the communication unit to receive information on the occurrence of a predetermined event in the external device, and when the occurrence information is received, performs control to execute a predetermined notification action. <Claim 11> A display unit that displays digital information is provided. The control unit identifies a type of the event related to the received occurrence information, and causes the display unit to perform the notifying operation by displaying the identified type. The pointer display device according to claim 10. <Claim 12> The indicator display device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit, when the communication unit receives the occurrence information of multiple types of events consecutively from an external device, causes the display unit to display a part of the multiple types. <Claim 13> 13. The indicator display device according to claim 12, wherein the part of the types is a type related to the most recently received generated information. <Claim 14> a first output step of outputting the first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a higher frequency than the first frequency signal to a first processing unit capable of executing processing for operating the hands in accordance with the first frequency signal; a second output step of controlling whether or not to output the second frequency signal to a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with the second frequency signal; a frequency control step of controlling the switching of an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal depending on whether the certain processing is being performed; a specific operation prohibition step of prohibiting a specific operation of the pointer by the first processing unit while the second processing unit is performing the certain process; A method for controlling the operation of a pointer display, comprising: <Claim 15> Computer a first output means for outputting the first frequency signal output by the oscillator or a second frequency signal having a higher frequency than the first frequency signal to a first processing unit capable of executing processing for operating the hands in accordance with the first frequency signal; second output means for controlling whether or not to output the second frequency to a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with the second frequency signal; a frequency control means for controlling the switching of an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal depending on whether the certain processing is being performed; specific operation prohibition means for prohibiting a specific operation of the pointer by the first processing unit while the second processing unit is performing the certain process; A program that functions as a [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Electronic Clock 2. Case 3 Display board 10 CPU 20 Memory section 21 Programs 22 Notification type information 30 Guidelines 31 Wheel train mechanism 32 Stepping motor 33 Drive unit 331 Timer Circuit 40 Digital display 41 Digital display screen 411 Segment Display Area 412 dot matrix display area 45 Alarm operation unit 50 Operation reception section 60 Communications Department 61 Temporary storage 70 Oscillator 80 Timing circuit AN Antenna

Claims

1. Guidelines and a first processing unit capable of executing a process for operating the pointer in accordance with a first frequency signal; a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with a second frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the first frequency signal; an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal; a control unit that controls switching of the frequency signal output by the oscillation unit depending on whether the certain process is being executed or not, and prohibits the specific operation of the hands by the first processing unit while the second processing unit is executing the certain process; A pointer display device comprising:

2. The pointer display device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit temporarily suspends the specific operation when the second processing unit starts the certain process while the first processing unit is causing the pointer to perform the specific operation.

3. 3. A pointer display device according to claim 1, wherein the specific operation is a pointer operation that generates a processing load higher than the processing load generated by the operation of the pointer related to the basic function of the pointer display device.

4. 4. The pointer display device according to claim 1, wherein the specific operation is a fast-forward operation of the pointer.

5. the second processing unit has a communication unit that communicates with an external device, The certain process includes a communication process with an external device by the communication unit. The pointer display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A storage unit for storing data is provided, the communication unit has a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores received data; When a condition related to an amount of data expected to be received from an external device is satisfied, the control unit acquires received data after a reference time has elapsed since the start of data reception from the temporary storage unit and stores the data in the storage unit.

6. The pointer display device according to claim 5.

7. When the condition related to the amount of received data is satisfied, the control unit determines a first prohibition time longer than a reference time from the start of data reception as a period during which the specific operation of the hands is prohibited, and when the condition is not satisfied, determines a second prohibition time shorter than the first prohibition time as a period during which the specific operation of the hands is prohibited.

7. The indicator display device according to claim 6.

8. 8. A pointer display device according to claim 6, wherein the condition includes reception occurring when a transition is made from a state in which communication with an external device has been cut off to a state in which communication connection has been established.

9. 9. The indicator display device according to claim 6, wherein the conditions include the type of operating system of the external device.

10. The pointer display device according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the control unit causes the communication unit to receive information about a predetermined event occurring in the external device, and when the occurrence information is received, performs control to execute a predetermined notification action.

11. A display unit that displays digital information is provided. The control unit identifies a type of the event related to the received occurrence information, and causes the display unit to perform the notifying operation by displaying the identified type. The pointer display device according to claim 10.

12. The indicator display device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit, when the occurrence information of a plurality of types of events is continuously received from the external device by the communication unit, causes the display unit to display a part of the plurality of types.

13. The indicator display device according to claim 12, wherein the part of the types is a type related to the most recently received generated information.

14. a first output step of outputting the first frequency signal or a second frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of the first frequency signal to a first processing unit capable of executing processing for operating the hands in accordance with the first frequency signal; a second output step of controlling whether or not the second frequency signal is output to a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with the second frequency signal; a frequency control step of controlling the switching of an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal depending on whether the certain processing is being performed; a specific operation prohibition step of prohibiting a specific operation of the pointer by the first processing unit while the second processing unit is performing the certain process; A method for controlling the operation of a pointer display, comprising:

15. Computer a first output means for outputting the first frequency signal output by the oscillator or a second frequency signal having a higher frequency than the first frequency signal to a first processing unit capable of executing processing for operating the hands in accordance with the first frequency signal; a second output means for controlling whether or not the second frequency is output to a second processing unit that performs a predetermined process in accordance with the second frequency signal; a frequency control means for controlling the switching of an oscillator that switches between the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal and outputs the switched signal depending on whether the certain processing is being performed; specific operation prohibiting means for prohibiting a specific operation of the pointer by the first processing unit while the second processing unit is performing the certain process; A program that functions as a

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