Seiko Epson Corporation

Norimitsu Baba

Katsuyuki Honda

Jun Matsuzaki

Toshikazu Akiyama

Tsukasa Kosuda

Hajime Kurihara

Yutaka Kawafune

Kazuhiko Amano

Motomu Hayakawa

Makoto Zakoji

Takashi Fujise

Keiichi Mukaiyama

Ichiro Aoshima

Masao Akaiwa

Kenji Yamaguchi

Michio Kobayashi

Yutaka Kondo

Hirokazu Nishijima

Yuko Furukawa

A watch includes a case, and a solar cell disposed inside the case and including a substrate made of resin and having a surface, a power generating unit having, at the surface, a first electrode, a first semiconductor layer, and a second electrode that are stacked in order, a first antenna including a third electrode that is provided at the surface and that is disposed at a position not to overlap the power generating unit in a plan view viewed in a direction orthogonal to the surface, and a protective layer disposed covering the power generating unit and the first antenna.

Watch having a protective layer covering a power generating unit and an antenna

An electronic timepiece includes a dial, a solar battery on a rear surface side of the dial, and an antenna on a rear surface side of the solar battery so as to receive a radio wave. The solar battery includes a solar cell for generating power and a first non-power generating section which transmits the radio wave to the antenna. The solar cell includes a metal electrode, a semiconductor layer on the dial side of the metal electrode, and a transparent electrode on the dial side of the semiconductor layer. The metal electrode and the transparent electrode are excluded from the first non-power generating section, and the semiconductor layer is included within at least a portion of the first non-power generating section. The solar battery further includes a non-conductive member which regulates light transmittance on the dial side of the semiconductor layer in the first non-power generating section.

Electronic timepiece

Either the electronic timepiece or the communication device of a communication system has a first communicator, and the other has a second communicator. The first communicator has a first transmitter including a transmission coil and a drive circuit configured to drive the transmission coil, and is configured to transmit signals by communicating through electromagnetic coupling; and an first receiver including a photodetector and a detection circuit that detects the output value of the photodetector, and configured to receive signals by optical communication. The second communicator has an second transmitter including a light-emitting device and a drive circuit that drives the light-emitting device, and configured to transmit signals by optical communication; and a second receiver including a reception coil and a detection circuit that detects the output value of the reception coil, and configured to receive signals by communicating through electromagnetic coupling.

Communication system, electronic timepiece, and communication device

A control circuit sets a detection period Din which the control circuit detects an output value of a solar cell and receives an optical signal, and charging periods C, Cin which a storage battery can be charged, during a reception period for receiving a data signal of transmission data transmitted from a communication target; controls a charging control circuit to disconnect the solar cell and the storage battery, and causes a detection circuit to detect the output value of the solar cell, during the detection period D; and controls the charging control circuit to connect the solar cell and the storage battery during the charging periods C, C

Electronic timepiece, communication device, and communication system

A satellite signal receiving device having a receiver circuit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite further includes a solar cell that converts light energy to electrical energy; a generating state detection circuit that detects a generating state of the solar cell to obtain a detection value, which is a power generating evaluation time, which is a time during which the solar cell output is continuously in a high illuminance state; and a control circuit that controls the receiver circuit and the generating state detection circuit, sets a threshold value for the power generating evaluation time, and compares the detection value with the threshold value and operates the receiver circuit when the detection value is greater than or equal to the threshold value. The control circuit changes the threshold value for the power generating evaluation time when satellite signal reception failed.

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

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

A timepiece can acquire time information in a short time, reduce power consumption, and display the correct time. A timepiece comprises a receiver to receive a satellite signal, and a time information generator to generate internal time information. The receiver runs a first reception process that acquires first information including week information from the satellite signal, a second reception process that acquires second information including leap second information from the satellite signal, or a third reception process that acquires third information including hour, minute and second information from the satellite signal. In the first reception timing, after the internal time information is initialized, the receiver runs the first reception process and runs the second reception process after running the first. In a next reception timing, after the first reception timing, the receiver runs the third reception process if the first and second information are acquired in the first reception timing.

Time adjustment device, timekeeping device with a time adjustment device, and time adjustment method

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.

A satellite signal receiving device including: a reception unit is configured to searche for positioning information satellites including a GNSS satellite used in a global navigation satellite system and an RNSS satellite used in a regional navigation satellite system, and receive satellite signal transmitted from a satellite locked onto by the search; a reception control unit is configured to control the reception unit; and a region determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the current location is in a region where satellite signal transmitted from the RNSS satellite can be received; the reception control unit prioritizing searching for an RNSS satellite when the region determination unit determines the current location is in a region where satellite signal transmitted from the RNSS satellite can be received.

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

A solar cell, a charge state detection circuit and a voltage detection circuit as a generating state detection circuit that detects the generating state of the solar cell, and a control circuit are provided. The control circuit operates a GPS receiver circuit when a detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, and resets the threshold value if satellite signal reception by the GPS receiver circuit fails, or if the detection value detected by the voltage detection circuit remains less than the threshold value for a preset generating state detection time or longer.

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.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano-ken, Japan

Norimitsu Baba