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US 4,234,945 AGranted
Electronic timepiece with hourly strike mechanism
AssigneesCitizen Watch Co., Ltd., Rhythm Watch Co., Ltd.
InventorsYasushi Nomura, Yuzo Komatsu, Shigeru Morokawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic timepiece having an acoustic hour information function in which a photosensitive switch mechanism essentially comprising a photosensitive element is provided to detect a quantity of light below a predetermined value in the surrounding environment where the timepiece is placed and control the acoustic hour information function of the timepiece depending upon the detected result.
Claims7
An electronic timepiece comprising:
- (a) a timepiece mechanism comprising a time reference signal generator, a frequency divider connected to said generator, a time keep mechanism connected to said divider, and a display device connected to said time keep mechanism;
- (b) an acoustic information mechanism comprising an hour information time detection means receiving an output from said time keep mechanism, an acoustic hour information control means, and an alarm mechanism receiving an output of said acoustic hour information control means and emitting an alarm in response thereto;
- and
- (c) a photosensitive switch mechanism controlling said acoustic information mechanism, said photosensitive switch mechanism comprising an intermittent switch means and a memory means each connected to said timepiece mechanism, and a photosensitive element controlled intermittently by said intermittent switch means whereby the amount of light intermittently received by said photosensitive element is memorized by said memory means so that said acoustic information mechanism may be controlled in response to the memorized contents in said memory means.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.