Radio-Controlled Timepiece Time Information Accuracy Weak Signal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional radio-controlled timepieces face challenges in accurately obtaining time information due to weak reception strength and noise interference, leading to errors in code judgment and consistency confirmation among frames.

Innovation Solution

A time information obtaining device and radio-controlled timepiece that uses a CPU to identify and decode time codes from standard waves, employing a majority voting system among multiple frames to correct misidentified codes and ensure accurate time information without prolonging the time required for obtaining time data, utilizing a model array to match code patterns and adjust frame data processing based on error tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional consistency confirmation methods are used among multiple frames, then time information accuracy is maintained, but the time required to obtain time information is prolonged in weak signal or noisy environments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime information accuracyVSAvoidtime required to obtain time information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing valid code strings and their corresponding time information in a storage unit before reception. When time information is needed, the system quickly searches and retrieves pre-validated data rather than performing full consistency confirmation in real-time, thus maintaining accuracy while reducing the time required for obtaining time information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If multiple frames are received and consistency is confirmed, then time information accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the device increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime information accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs consistency confirmation and validates code strings in advance, storing only valid combinations in the storage unit. This preliminary validation reduces the processing complexity during actual time information retrieval, as the system only needs to search and retrieve pre-validated data rather than performing complex consistency checks in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates copies of valid code strings and their corresponding time information, storing multiple valid combinations in the storage unit. This allows the system to quickly retrieve pre-validated data without performing complex consistency confirmation during operation, thereby reducing processing complexity while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If code string identification is performed in noisy environments, then time information can be obtained, but error judgment of codes increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime information acquisition capabilityVSAvoidcode judgment accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-stores valid code strings that have already been validated for correctness. In noisy environments, instead of attempting to identify codes in real-time (which leads to errors), the system searches for matches among pre-validated stored code strings, thereby maintaining high reliability while enabling time information acquisition in challenging conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent stores multiple copies of valid code strings in the storage unit. When receiving signals in noisy environments, the system can search among these pre-validated copies to find matching patterns, avoiding the need to make error-prone code judgments in real-time and thus maintaining high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP2701017B1Time information obtaining device and radio-controlled timepiece
Publication Date: 2019.02.06 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD
  • EP2701017B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2701017B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2701017B1 patent drawingFigure 2C~2E

AI summary

A time information obtaining device and a radio-controlled timepiece are shown. According to one implementation, the time information obtaining device includes a receiving section, a code identifying section, a decoding section, and a consistency confirming section. The consistency confirming section confirms consistency of time information. The consistency confirming section generates the selected code string using the following: (i) a matching selected code string portion in which, for a code string portion including a code which may change according to the time information, a type of code is selected based on a degree of match between an identified code string and a model code string; and (ii) a majority selected code string portion in which, for a portion other than the above, a type of code is selected by majority determination among the codes identified to be a same position.