Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sony Corporation

Hidetoshi Maeda

Takehiko Sasaki

Toshihiro Ohba

Tutomu Nakamura

Kiyoshi Kumata

Mitsuhiko Yoshikawa

Toshiyuki Sakata

Noboru Someno

Mitsuo Morihisa

Masahiko Kushino

Kazuo Inoue

Masaji Yonekawa

Noboru Nakajima

An image sensor includes a light receiving insulating substrate which has a plurality of light receiving elements with one row disposed on one major surface and has a first wiring portion on one side of the major surface for connecting the light receiving elements to a plurality of external driving elements; a driving insulating substrate which has the driving elements mounted on one major surface and has a second wiring portion on one side of the major surface for connecting the driving elements to the light receiving elements; a press-contact connector for electrically connecting the wiring portions, keeping the light receiving insulating substrate and the driving insulating substrate in contact with each other with their respective wiring portions positioned back to back; and engaging means provided close to at least one of the wiring portions in the light receiving insulating substrate and the driving insulating substrate and also provided in the press-contact connector, for enhancing a mechanical holding strength of the press-contact connector to the insulating substrates.

Image sensor having clamp connecting sensing and driving components

A frequency counting apparatus is advantageously utilized as a frequency counter for displaying in a digital manner the frequency being received by a radio receiver. The inventive frequency counting apparatus includes a quartz resonator adapted to oscillate at the frequency of 2.sup.n Hz where n is a positive integer, for example 32,768 Hz, and a microprocessor including a programming unit, an operating unit for making operation in accordance with a program of the programming apparatus, a counter and a control unit. The program steps of the programming unit are made to progress based on the oscillation output signal of the quartz resonator. The counter is supplied with a local oscillation signal of a radio receiver. The local oscillation signal supplied to the counter is gated for a predetermined time period determined in accordance with the program of the programming unit, whereby the local oscillation signal is counted. The count value in the counter is multiplied or divided by a prescribed correction factor preloaded in the programming unit by means of the operating unit.

Frequency counting apparatus

A mode selection switch is provided for selectively enabling a time information display, namely, a timepiece mode, and a calculator operation, namely, a calculator mode. Function keys for the calculator operation are adapted to select a desired time information section, for example, the date information section, the hour information section, and the minute information section during the timepiece mode, thereby resetting the time information stored in the selected information section to zero. Thereafter, a desired value is introduced into the selected information section through numeral keys for the calculator operation. If the timepiece mode is selected, a separate key selects either hours/minutes/seconds or days of the week. The days of the week are displayed on a decimal point indicator display. Another separate key will correct the indication on the decimal point indicator display to display the correct day of the week once the days of the week are selected by the above mentioned separate key. The decimal point indicator display may also function to display the numerical decimal point in the calculator mode.

Time and date information correction in a combination timepiece and

A thin-film transparent electrode is provided on the front glass of an electronic wristwatch to form a part of a switching mechanism cooperation with a metal frame provided at the back of the wristwatch. The metal frame is maintained in contact with the operator's wrist in an operative condition. When the operator touches the thin-film transparent electrode, the switching mechanism in its ON condition provides a signal for controlling an operation mode of the electronic wristwatch, for example, a display condition.

Switching mechanism for electronic wristwatch

A system for correcting the accuracy of a reference signal in an electronic timepiece comprises an electronic timepiece including a reference signal frequency correction means for increasing or decreasing the reference signal frequency in a digital fashion with the use of a low frequency signal, and a quartz tester arrangement for measuring the accuracy of the reference signal frequency. The quartz tester arrangement indicates the displacement of the reference signal frequency from the standard signal frequency with the use of five lamps, each of which is selected to be enabled in accordance with the detected value of the displacement. The reference signal frequency correction means in the electronic timepiece includes five manually operable switches corresponding to said five lamps and functions to increase or decrease the reference signal frequency in a digital fashion in response to the closing of the switches corresponding to the enabled lamps.

Accuracy correction in an electronic timepiece

In a touch sensitive electronic switching circuit including a C-MOS inverter, for use in electronic wristwatches, a resistor of 1-10 M.OMEGA. is connected to the source electrode of the P-channel MOS type field effect transistor included within the C-MOS inverter, whereby the threshold voltage level of the C-MOS inverter is shifted to a low level to enhance the reliability of the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit. In another embodiment, the resistor of 1-10 M.OMEGA. is connected to the source electrode of the N-channel MOS type field effect transistor included within the C-MOS inverter, whereby the threshold voltage level of the C-MOS inverter is shifted to a high level to enhance the reliability of the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit.

Touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches

A time calculation ring counter is made of a plurality of negative resistance light emitting elements, which provide display of current time information. In a preferred form, a plurality of GCR's (gallium arsenide gate controlled rectifiers) or a plurality of GND's (gallium arsenide negative resistance light emitting diodes) are aligned in a circular fashion on a display panel of an electronic timepiece. The GCR's or GND's function to either calculate the time information or indicate the time information.

Electronic timepiece with negative resistance light emitting elements

Zero adjustment of second information in an electronic timepiece is carried out upon receiving a command from the operator. 'Increment one' is performed upon minute information when the second information is between 24 and 59 seconds when the zero adjustment command is generated. Minute information is not changed when the second information is between 0 and 23 seconds when the zero adjustment command is generated.

Zero adjustment in an electronic timepiece

A mode selection switch is provided for selectively enabling a time information display, namely, a timepiece mode, and a calculator operation, namely, a calculator mode. Function keys for the calculator operation are adapted to select a desired time information section, for example, the date information section, the hour information section, and the minute information section during the timepiece mode, thereby resetting the time information stored in the selected information section to zero. Thereafter, a desired value is introduced into the selected information section through numeral keys for the calculator operation.

Time information correction in combination timepiece and calculator

In a touch sensitive electronic switching circuit including a C-MOS inverter, for use in an electronic wristwatch, a resistor of about 5 M.OMEGA. is connected between the gate electrode of the C-MOS inverter and an input terminal associated with a touch sensitive electrode formed on a preferred position of the casing of the electronic wristwatch. The resistor of about 5 M.OMEGA. functions to prevent the C-MOS inverter from being damaged by an erroneous application of a high voltage to the touch sensitive electrode.

Touch sensitive electronic switching circuitry for electronic

Transparent touch electrodes are formed on a front glass window of an electronic wristwatch at positions near, for example, the hour information digital display section and the minute information digital display section for correcting the time information in terms of hours and minutes, respectively. A safety lock system associated with the touch electrodes is provided to prevent the time information correction when it is not desired. The safety lock system counts an intermittent touch operation effected on the touch electrodes, thereby allowing the introduction of a time information correction command only when the touch operation is repeated over a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

Touch switch controlled time information correction with safety lock in

Zero adjustment of second information in an electronic timepiece is carried out upon receiving a command from the operator through a zero adjust switch. Increment one is performed on minute information when the second information is above a predetermined value, for example, twenty-four seconds when the zero adjustment command is generated. The reference signal frequency is automatically corrected by detecting the second information when the zero adjustment command is generated, in such a manner that the reference signal frequency is increased to render the timepiece faster when the second information is above the predetermined value, and the reference signal frequency is decreased to render the timepiece slower when the second information is below the predetermined value when the zero adjustment command is generated. A duration counter is preferably provided for detecting a time period initiating upon generation of a zero adjustment command and terminating upon generation of the following zero adjustment command. The correction of the reference signal frequency is not carried out when the duration detected by said counter is greater than a predetermined value, for example, one month in order to inhibit the frequency correction when it is not desirable.

Reference signal frequency correction in an electronic timepiece

An electronic wristwatch is provided with a touch type contactless switch structure for the purpose of altering the operational mode thereof, which comprises a pair of switch electrodes one being disposed on the viewing window in the engagement relationship with a portion of the operator body and the other being constituted of the enclosure thereof made of electrically conducting material. The one electrode is a film of transparent conductive material and, has an end area leading to the movement accommodated within the interior of the wristwatch. Both of the electrodes are isolated from each other via an electrically non-conducting member of low-melting point glass disposed therebetween which includes an extension overlaying the one electrode at the peripheral portion of the viewing window for allowing for moisture invasion.

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Tenri, Japan

Hidetoshi Maeda