Method of and system for detecting the rate of an electronic timepiece
AssigneeCitizen Watch Co., Ltd.
InventorsYoshihiko Yanagawa, Shizuo Yamaguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The operating speed of an electronic timepiece, whose electro-optical indicator is excited by an oscillator with a frequency harmonically related to its stepping rate, is determined by an electrostatic sensor including a monitoring plate capacitively coupled to an electrode of the indicator. The output of the sensor is a bipolar pulse train developed across a resistor defining a differentiation circuit of small time constant with the condenser formed by the monitoring plate and the electrode, the capacitance of this condenser being on the order of 1 pf or less so that the controlling oscillator is not significantly loaded by the presence of the sensor.
Claims5
A system for determining the operating speed of a timepiece provided with an oscillator of fixed frequency, electro-optical indicator means including an exciting electrode, stepping means for said indicator means controlled by said oscillator means, and circuit means connected to said oscillator for applying to said exciting electrode an alternating voltage harmonically related to the stepping rate of said indicator means, comprising a conductive plate spacedly juxtaposed with said exciting electrode for defining therewith a coupling capacitance, a resistance connected to said capacitance for developing thereacross a voltage wave in step with said alternating voltage, amplifier means connected across said resistance, and rate-metering means connected to said amplifier means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.