Seiko Epson Corporation

Jun Matsuzaki

Katsuyuki Honda

Norimitsu Baba

Toshikazu Akiyama

Teruhiko Fujisawa

Osamu Urano

Takashi Kawaguchi

Reiko Nagahama

Joji Kitahara

Makoto Okeya

Shunsuke Koyama

An antenna device housed in a metallic case body of an electronic timepiece includes: a first substrate which is provided on the side of a back over of the metallic case body and on which a ground pattern and an wireless communication unit as a power feeding circuit are formed; a second substrate which is arranged on the opposite side of the movement and on which a chip antenna is formed; and a conductive electrode which is arranged inside the movement and has one end connected to the wireless communication unit and the other end connected to the chip antenna.

Antenna device and electronic timepiece

An electronic timepiece enables a simple construction, and an electronic device has the electronic timepiece. A wristwatch has a button or external operating member; a controller that sets the operating mode of the wristwatch based on an input operation of the button. Based on the continuous input time that the button is operated continuously, the controller changes the operating mode between a timekeeping mode that receives a satellite signal from one or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information contained in the received satellite signal; and a positioning mode that receives satellite signals from three or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information and positioning information contained in the received satellite signals.

Electronic timepiece and electronic device

An electronic timepiece can determine the reception state in detail, and can display the reception state with high precision. A GPS wristwatchhas a reception unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite; a reception level calculating unitthat calculates a reception level from the signal strength of the satellite signal; and a reception level display unitthat displays the reception level calculated by the reception level calculating unit. The reception level calculating unitselects a specific number of satellite signals received from the positioning information satellites in order of greatest signal strength, and calculates the reception level from the signal strengths of the selected satellite signals.

Electronic timepiece

An electronic timepiece enables a simple construction, and an electronic device has the electronic timepiece. A wristwatchhas a button A; a mode setting unitthat sets the operating mode of the wristwatchbased on an input operation of the button A. Based on the continuous input time that the button Ais operated continuously, the mode setting unitchanges the operating mode between a timekeeping mode that receives satellite signals from one or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information contained in the received satellite signal(s); and a positioning mode that receives satellite signals from three or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information and positioning information contained in the received satellite signals.

A GPS wristwatch has a reception mode setting unit that sets a reception mode of a reception unit; and a locking level setting unit that sets a locking performance. The reception mode setting unit sets the reception mode to an automated timekeeping mode when an automated reception condition is met; sets the reception mode to a manual timekeeping mode when a first operation of an input unit is detected; and sets the reception mode to a positioning mode when a second operation of the input unit is detected. The locking level setting unit sets the locking performance to a high level when the reception mode is set to the manual timekeeping mode or the positioning mode, and sets the locking performance to a low level that is lower than the high level when the reception mode is set to the automated timekeeping mode.

Electronic timepiece and satellite signal receiving method

An electronic timepiece enables a simple construction, and an electronic device has the electronic timepiece. A wristwatchhas a button A; a mode setting unitthat sets the operating mode of the wristwatchbased on an input operation of the button A. Based on the continuous input time that the button Ais operated continuously, the mode setting unitchanges the operating mode between a timekeeping mode that receives satellite signals from one or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information contained in a received satellite signal; and a positioning mode that receives satellite signals from three or more GPS satellites and adjusts the internal time information based on time information and positioning information contained in the received satellite signals.

A satellite signal reception device can reliably execute a satellite signal reception process. The satellite signal reception device has a reception time setting unitthat sets a reception time; a timekeeping unit that keeps internal time; and a scheduled reception control unitthat executes a time-based reception process that operates the reception unit when the time kept by the timekeeping unit reaches the reception time. By having a scheduled reception control unit, the reception process can be executed when the internal time goes to the reception time set by the reception time setting unit. The reception process is therefore executed once a day. The satellite signal reception process can therefore be executed reliably without being affected by how the device is used, the season, weather, or other factors.

Satellite signal receiving device and electronic device

An electronic timepiece includes a GPS receiving section, which captures a satellite signal emitted from a positional information satellite and receives the satellite signal, and is capable of obtaining at least one of time information and positioning information, and a reception mode setting section adapted to set a reception mode selectively to at least a time measurement mode and a positioning mode. The GPS receiving section is provided with a base band section as a correlation section, and the correlation section is capable of changing the frequency resolution in a plurality of levels. Further, the correlation section sets the minimum value of the frequency resolution to be changed in the time measurement mode to a value larger than the minimum value of the frequency resolution to be changed in the positioning mode.

An electronic timepiece can adjust the input terminal and suppress power consumption. An electronic timepiece has: a reception unitthat receives a satellite signal containing time information from a positioning information satellite; a power supply unithaving a battery that supplies drive power; a remaining capacity detection unitthat measures the remaining battery capacity; and a control unitthat controls satellite signal reception by the reception unit. The control unitincludes a timekeeping unitthat keeps time, a time adjustment unitthat adjusts the time kept by the timekeeping unitbased on the satellite signal received by the reception unit, and a prohibition period setting unitthat sets a prohibition period in which receiving a satellite signal is prohibited based on the remaining battery capacity measured by the remaining capacity detection unit

A satellite signal reception device that can desirably receive satellite signals has a charge state detection circuitand a voltage detection circuitthat detect if the satellite signal reception device is outdoors, and a control circuit. If the satellite signal reception device is determined to be outdoors based on the detection result from the charge state detection circuitand voltage detection circuit, the control circuitoperates a GPS reception circuit. If an indoor state in which the satellite signal reception device is determined to not be outdoors continues for at least a predetermined specific time, the control circuitoperates the GPS reception circuitat a preset scheduled reception time.

Satellite signal receiving device, satellite signal receiving method, and electronic device

An electronic timepiece has a case of which at least part is conductive; a clock chip that keeps and displays time on a time display means; a receiver chip that receives a radio signal through a GPS antenna; a storage battery; a timekeeping voltage conversion unit that converts output voltage from the storage battery to drive voltage for the clock chip; and a receiver voltage conversion unit that converts output voltage from the storage battery to drive voltage for the receiver chip. The output terminal of the timekeeping voltage conversion unit is connected to the clock chip and the case, and the output terminal of the receiver voltage conversion unit is connected to the receiver chip.

An electronic timepiece that receives signals and displays information can be driven using solar power while suppressing antenna sensitivity loss to a sufficiently low level. An electronic timepiece has a dial, on the face of which time is displayed, a flat antenna, and a solar cell. The flat antenna is disposed in an area on the back side of the dial, extends in the plane direction of the dial, and receives signals passing through the dial. The solar cell is also disposed in the area on the back side of the dial, positioned vertically between the dial and the flat antenna. The solar cell also extends in the plane direction of the dial.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano-ken, Japan

Jun Matsuzaki