Electronic Timepiece Voltage Threshold Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic timepieces with small battery capacity face voltage drops during high-load operations like satellite radio wave reception, leading to potential disruptions in time display and limited convenience for users due to premature shutdowns and restricted high-load operation execution.
Innovation Solution
An electronic timepiece with a first processor that stops display operations when voltage drops below a predetermined reference voltage but continues time display for a pending period after high-load operations, ensuring accurate time correction and user awareness without immediate shutdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the display operation is stopped when voltage decreases below the reference voltage during high-load operations, then the battery is protected from deep discharge, but the time display is restricted even when time information is acquired, reducing user convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the voltage threshold dynamic rather than fixed. The reference voltage is adjusted based on the operation state: a first reference voltage is used during high-load operations (allowing display to continue), and a second, lower reference voltage is used during normal operations (triggering shutdown). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the protection level to the current operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of reference voltage based on the operation type. During satellite radio wave reception (high-load operation), a higher first reference voltage is used, allowing the display to continue even when voltage drops. During normal operations, a lower second reference voltage triggers shutdown. This parameter change enables the system to protect the battery while maintaining display functionality during critical time information acquisition.
2Reliability
If high-load operations are allowed only when battery remaining amount is sufficient, then the time display operation is ensured, but the situation allowing execution of high-load operations is remarkably limited, causing practical problems in acquiring accurate time information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the operational capability dynamic by allowing high-load operations (satellite radio wave reception) to execute even when battery level is low, provided the display operation continues during the operation. This dynamic permission system resolves the contradiction by adapting operational constraints to the specific context of time information acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by acquiring time information through satellite radio wave reception before the voltage drops to the shutdown threshold. The system proactively completes the time correction operation even at low battery levels, ensuring accurate time information is obtained before battery depletion forces shutdown.
3Loss of energy
If the display operation is stopped when voltage decreases, then the battery discharge is prevented, but the accurate time information cannot be displayed, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by using different reference voltages for different operational states. During satellite radio wave reception, the first reference voltage allows display continuation, ensuring accurate time information is displayed. During normal operations, the second reference voltage triggers shutdown to prevent deep discharge. This dynamic threshold adjustment resolves the contradiction between energy conservation and measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic timepiece, including: a counter; a display section; a first processor; a second processor; and a power supply section which supplies electric power to each section from a battery, wherein when an output voltage from the power supply section decreases to less than a predetermined first reference voltage, the first processor stops a display operation by the display section, when the time information is acquired by the processing operation of the second processor, the first processor corrects the time counted by the counter based on the acquired time information and causes the display section to display the corrected time, and when the output voltage decreases to less than the first reference voltage following an acquisition operation of the time information by the second processor, the first processor does not stop a time display operation during a predetermined pending period.