Time Correction Device, Timepiece Having a Time Correction Device, and Time Correction Method

A timekeeping device having a time correction device comprising:

• a positioning unit that receives signals from positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth and determines the position of the positioning unit;
• a time information generating unit that generates time information;
• a time correction information storage unit that stores time correction information for correcting the time information;
• a time information correction unit that corrects the time information based on the time correction information;
• a time correction basis information storage unit that stores time correction basis information, which is basis information for generating the time correction information;
• a time correction information generating unit that generates the time correction information based on the time correction basis information;
• and
• a selection information storage unit for storing selection information;
• wherein the time correction basis information includes
• plural-satellite-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on signals from a plurality of positioning information satellites;
• single-satellite-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on signals from a single positioning information satellite using positioning information acquired when the time correction information generating unit generates the time correction information based on the plural-satellite-referenced time correction basis information;
• and
• partial-satellite-signal-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on a time-related signal in the signals received from a single positioning information satellite using time difference information acquired when the time correction information generating unit generates the time correction information based on the single-satellite-referenced time correction basis information;
• and
• the selection information is used by the time correction information generating unit to select from the time correction basis information and apply the plural-satellite-referenced time correction basis information, the single-satellite-referenced time correction basis information, or the partial-satellite-signal-referenced time correction basis information.

A time correction method of correcting the time information of a time information generating unit that generates time information based on time correction information, comprising:

• a first time correction information generating step of a time correction information generating unit producing the time correction information based on plural-satellite-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on signals received by a positioning unit from a plurality of positioning information satellites orbiting the Earth;
• a first time information correcting step of a time information correction unit correcting the time information of the time information generating unit based on the time correction information generated by the first time correction information generating step;
• a second time correction information generating step of the time correction information generating unit producing the time correction information based on single-satellite-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on signals from a single positioning information satellite using positioning information acquired by the positioning unit in the first time correction information generating step;
• a second time information correcting step of the time information correction unit correcting the time information of the time information generating unit based on the time correction information generated by the second time correction information generating step;
• a third time correction information generating step of the time correction information generating unit producing the time correction information based on partial-satellite-signal-referenced time correction basis information that is the basis information for generating the time correction information based on a time-related signal in the signals received from a single positioning information satellite using time difference information acquired in the second time correction information generating step;
• and
• a third time information correcting step of the time information correction unit correcting the time information of the time information generating unit based on the time correction information produced in the third time correction information generating step.