Seiko Instruments Inc

Eriko Noguchi

Kazuo Kato

Tomohiro Ihashi

Akira Takakura

Takanori Hasegawa

Kazumi Sakumoto

Kenji Ogasawara

Hiroshi Shimizu

Kosuke Yamamoto

Saburo Manaka

Keishi Honmura

Hisao Nakamura

Keisuke Tsubata

Satoshi Sakai

Yoshinori Sugai

Masayuki Kawata

Toshitaka Fukushima

Toshiyuki Fujiwara

Shotaro Kamiyama

A display device includes independently driven common and segment terminals. The common and segment terminals are connected to display components divided into display blocks that are turned ON to perform a display function and are turned OFF so as to not perform the display function. A first driver drives the common terminals using a scanning signal of a predetermined period and a second driver drives the segment terminals using a segment signal synchronized with the scanning signal to correspond to a display signal, so that the display components perform a display corresponding to the display signal. The first driver separates the common terminals into common terminal blocks and drives the common terminals. The first and second drivers perform the driving so that the common and segment terminals which are connected to display blocks that are turned OFF are not supplied with a turn-off signal and are maintained at ground potential.

Display device and electronic apparatus using display device

A power supply unit has a first power supply circuit that supplies a voltage to a load driving unit and a second power supply circuit that supplies a voltage to circuits other than the load driving unit. A first switching unit connects any one of a power supply that supplies a power supply voltage and a voltage step-down circuit that supplies a step-down voltage of the power supply voltage to the first power supply circuit. A second switching unit connects any one of the power supply and the voltage step-down circuit to the second power supply circuit. A control unit controls the connection by the first switching unit and the connection by the second switching unit to switch the voltage supplied to the first power supply circuit and the voltage supplied to the second power supply circuit in accordance with properties of the load driving unit.

Power supply unit and electronic timepiece

The ultraviolet ray sensor measures the intensity of ultraviolet rays irradiated to the ultraviolet ray receiving surface. The CPU performs control to measure ultraviolet intensity in a case in which the ultraviolet ray receiving surface of the ultraviolet ray sensor faces in a predetermined direction.

Ultraviolet ray measuring apparatus and electronic wristwatch equipped with ultraviolet ray measuring function

An electronic timepiece can reduce a burden imposed on a user who performs a manipulation for correcting the positional displacement of a pointer when a position of the pointer is displaced due to the demonstration of the pointer movement. The electronic timepiece includes: a pointer which is rotated in a first direction based on a manipulation signal corresponding to a manipulation from the outside; and a control part which performs the demonstration of the pointer movement in which the pointer is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction and the first direction, wherein the pointer is positioned at a position where a rotational angle in the first direction from a preset reference position is smaller than a rotational angle in a second direction from the reference position.

Electronic timepiece

In a chronograph timepiece in which the chronograph hands are electrically rotated by a motor drive pulse and are mechanically zero-restoring-controlled, a basic drive control unit controls a motor so as to drive the chronograph hands when it is detected by a contact portion and a setting releasing detection portion that the setting of the chronograph hands by a setting mechanism has been released.

Chronograph timepiece

Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece whose chronograph hands are electrically drive-controlled and mechanically zero-restoring-controlled, wherein it possible to perform a normal operation at the time of start operation and reset operation. After a mechanical control unit releases the setting of chronograph hands in response to the start operation of a start/stop button, a contact portion is placed in a start state, and an electrical control unit starts a time measurement operation to electrically hand-movement-drive the chronograph hands, and, after a contact portion is placed in a reset state in response to a reset operation of a reset button and the electrical control unit electrically resets the time measurement operation, the mechanical control unit mechanically zero-restores and sets the chronograph hands.

Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent the battery reliability service life time from being exceeded even when the period of time that the chronograph function is used is short, making it possible to prevent failure generation in the chronograph timepiece due to liquid leakage. A 24-hour counter down-counts a period of time that has elapsed starting from 24 hours, and a chronograph counter down-counts the period of time that chronograph measurement operation is performed from a predetermined time; when the count values of the 24-hour counter and the chronograph counter become equal to each other, a processing unit consumes a battery for the residual period of time of the two counters by a battery power consuming unit.

Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent the chronograph drive timing and the magnetic field detection timing from overlapping each other to unnecessarily effect driving with correction drive pulses. A processing unit controls drive circuits so as to drive a time indication motor and a chronograph indication motor with a predetermined timing based respectively on timekeeping information obtained and chronograph measurement information obtained, and effects control such that a magnetic field detecting unit detects a magnetic field with a predetermined timing; when the drive timing for the chronograph indication motor and the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit overlap each other, the processing unit changes the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit so that the drive timing for the chronograph indication motor and the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit may not overlap each other.

When it is judged that a chronograph second counter and a chronograph minute counter have measured a maximum measurement time, a maximum measurement control unit controls a drive pulse generation circuit so as to drive and stop a motor such that chronograph hand stops at predetermined positions. When, in this state, a restarting operation is performed on a start/stop button, a normal chronograph measurement operation is restarted. At this time, a mechanical structure has been restored to a reset state, so that even at the time of restarting after the measurement of the maximum measurement time, the load at the starting operation is the same as that of the normal operation, thus generating no sense of incongruity.

Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent a non-rotation state at the time of first driving when chronograph measuring operation is reset during motor drive and restarting is effected. When a resetting operation is performed on a reset button during the driving of a motor and a rotation detection circuit detects non-rotation, a drive control unit controls a drive pulse generation circuit such that the control is completed without reversing the polarity of a motor drive pulse output from the drive pulse generation circuit, and that the motor is driven by a drive pulse of the same polarity as that at the time of the previous resetting in response to a starting operation performed on a start/stop button, driving the motor by the drive pulse of the same polarity at the time of restarting after the resetting.

A living body data detector equipped with a fitting belt which does not deviate in position, does not fall down and does not press the chest even when taking exercise while fitting it on is provided. A living body data detector comprises a fitting belt having a pair of shoulder belt portions that is, a left shoulder belt portion and a right shoulder belt portion, a pair of electrode portions attached to the fitting belt, and a living body signal detector portion connected to the pair of electrode portions through connection cables, and attached to the fitting belt. The left shoulder belt portion and the right shoulder belt portion are forming an intersected coupling portion on the back side of the user. A living body signal detector portion is attached to the intersected coupling portion. The left shoulder belt portion is provided with an expansion portion and a separable coupling means, and the right shoulder belt portion is provided with an expansion portion and a separable coupling means.

Living body data detector

An electronic pedometer has a case, a main circuit board mounted on the case and supporting an electronic circuit element for signal processing, and a sub-circuit board separate and independent from the main circuit board and mounted to a portion of the case. An acceleration sensor is mounted on the sub-circuit board for detecting a walk of a user and outputting a walk signal corresponding to the walk. A flexible conductive member electrically connects the main circuit board and the sub-circuit board to one another.

Electronic pedometer

To be able to downsize an electronic apparatus having an antenna having a plurality of antenna coils. A radio wave timepiece includes an antenna for receiving a radio wave signal including time information and the antenna is provided not to be projected from a contour of a timepiece movement. The antenna includes a plurality of antenna coils wound to laminate on a core, when the antennais used by being contained in a metal cabinet, the antenna coil wound around an upper layer and having a large inductance value is used, when the antenna is used by being contained in a plastic cabinet, the antenna coil wound around a lower layer and having a small inductance value is used, thereby, regardless of a kind of the cabinet, the radio wave timepiece can be downsized and a predetermined radio wave receiving sensitivity can be achieved.

Electronic apparatus having antenna

A portable electronic apparatus comprises a frame having a recessed portion for receiving a battery. The recessed portion has a bottom portion that has an upper surface on which the battery seats. A circuit board is disposed beneath the frame and has two locking holes positioned at spaced-apart locations beneath a lower surface of the bottom portion. A negative battery terminal is disposed in an opening formed in the bottom portion. The negative battery terminal has two battery contact spring portions for elastically contacting a negative terminal of the battery and two locking spring portions that are sandwiched between the lower surface of the bottom portion and the circuit board. The two locking spring portions terminate in elastically deformable locking portions that are inserted into, and elastically deformed to make pressure contact with, inner walls of respective ones of the locking holes.

Portable electronic apparatus with battery engaging terminal

A metal-made coil spring is accommodated in a conduction hole of a spacer. A metal-made pin passes through a circuit support base, circuit board and spacer. A connection board is placed on a conduction hole of the spacer and fixed by a holding plate and a metal-made fixing screw. The coil spring has a height set greater than a thickness of the spacer. If the connection board is attached by the fixing screw, the coil spring is brought into a compressed state by the action of the holding plate and circuit board. Due to this, because the coil spring is strongly urged onto the circuit board and connection board, electric conduction is provided from the sensor unit to the circuit board.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Eriko Noguchi