Radio-Controlled Timepiece Parity Verification for Noise

Solution Overview

Problem

Radio-controlled timepieces face challenges in accurately obtaining time information due to noise interference and weak signal reception, leading to misidentification of codes in the code string, especially when the parity data and one-minute unit digit codes change across frames.

Innovation Solution

A time information obtaining device that includes a code identifying section, a first portion parity calculating section, a first portion parity deciding section, a second portion parity deciding section, and a parity confirming section to identify and confirm the accuracy of time information by calculating and matching portion parities across multiple code strings, ensuring consistency and accuracy even in noisy conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If standard radio wave reception is performed in noisy environments or inside steel frame buildings, then the radio wave can be received over long distances, but the reception intensity becomes weak and noise interference increases causing code misidentification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereception distanceVSAvoidtime information accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The code string is divided into multiple blocks (first block containing hour data, second block containing minute data, third block containing parity data). By segmenting the code verification process into block-level parity checks, the system can identify and exclude noisy blocks from majority decision-making, thereby maintaining accuracy even when receiving weak signals through steel frame buildings or in noisy environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Parity data serves as an intermediary verification mechanism. The receiving device calculates parity values for each block and uses these as intermediate checks before final time information determination. This intermediary parity verification layer filters out misidentified codes caused by noise, resolving the contradiction between long-distance reception capability and information accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If majority decision-making is applied to all codes including parity data, then consistency can be confirmed, but the code cannot be decided by majority when parity values change across frames

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime information verification accuracyVSAvoidcode processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The code string is divided into multiple blocks (first block containing hour data, second block containing minute data, third block containing parity data). By segmenting the code verification process into block-level parity checks, the system can identify and exclude noisy blocks from majority decision-making, thereby maintaining accuracy even when receiving weak signals through steel frame buildings or in noisy environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Parity data serves as an intermediary verification mechanism. The receiving device calculates parity values for each block and uses these as intermediate checks before final time information determination. This intermediary parity verification layer filters out misidentified codes caused by noise, resolving the contradiction between long-distance reception capability and information accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If multiple frames are received and processed to confirm consistency, then accurate time information can be obtained despite noise, but processing time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime information accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The code string is divided into multiple blocks (first block containing hour data, second block containing minute data, third block containing parity data). By segmenting the code verification process into block-level parity checks, the system can identify and exclude noisy blocks from majority decision-making, thereby maintaining accuracy even when receiving weak signals through steel frame buildings or in noisy environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring complete consistency across all code positions in multiple frames, the system performs partial verification by checking parity values for each block separately. This partial action approach allows the device to obtain accurate time information with fewer frames by focusing verification efforts on critical parity blocks, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9176809B2Time information obtaining device and radio-controlled timepiece

Publication Date: 2015.11.03 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

A time information obtaining device and a radio-controlled timepiece are shown. According to one implementation, the time information obtaining device includes the following. A code identifying section identifies each code of a code string in a radio wave. A first portion parity calculating section calculates a portion parity where a parity bit of a variable code is subtracted from a parity code showing a parity bit for a code string portion. A first portion parity deciding section decides a portion parity based on a calculated number of portion parities. A second portion parity deciding section obtains a portion parity from an invariable code other than the variable code. A parity confirming section confirms a match between the portion parities decided by the first portion parity deciding section and the second portion parity deciding section.