US 4,306,302 AGranted

Electronic timepiece

AssigneeCitizen Watch Co., Ltd.

InventorsFukuo Sekiya, Minoru Watanabe

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An electronic timepiece equipped with a rotatable operating member which actuates a switch, and means for detecting the direction of rotation of the operating member to utilize a signal produced by the switch for correction of information displayed by the timepiece, the information to be corrected being selected in accordance with the direction of rotation of the operating member.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An electronic timepiece comprising:

a source of a standard frequency signal;
frequency divider means responsive to said standard frequency signal for producing a standard time signal;
time indicating means responsive to said standard time signal for providing a display of time information;
a rotary actuation member rotatable in first and second directions;
correction switch means coupled to said rotary actuation member for being actuated thereby to produce an output signal;
a direction detection circuit coupled to receive said output signal from said correction switch means, for producing a direction command signal indicative of a direction of rotation of said rotary actuation member and for further producing a switching signal comprising a pulse train having a period proportional to a speed of rotation of said rotary actuation member;
a correction pulse generating circuit coupled to receive clock pulse produced by said frequency divider means, said correction pulse generating circuit including counter means for counting a number of said clock pulses occuring between a pair of successive ones of said switching signal pulses, and further comprising circuit means responsive to said count of clock pulses for producing at least one correction pulse following said pair of successive switching signal pulses, with the number of correction pulses thus produced varying in an inverse manner with respect to said clock pulse count;
first circuit means responsive to a first status of said direction command signal for enabling a correction of said time information in a forward direction, and further responsive to a second status of said direction command signal for enabling the correction of said time information in a reverse direction;
and
second circuit means responsive to said correction pulses for correcting said time information;
said first status of said direction command signal being attained when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said first direction and said second status of said direction command signal being attained when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said second direction.

8 more elements

An electronic timepiece comprising:

a source of a standard frequency signal;
frequency divider means responsive to said standard frequency signal for producing a standard time signal;
time indicating means responsive to said standard time signal for providing a display of time information;
a rotary actuation member rotatable in first and second directions;
detection means for detecting said first and second directions of rotation of said rotary actuation member to provide first and second detection signals indicative of said first and second directions of rotation, respectively, said detection means comprising a first gearwheel coupled mechanically to said rotary actuation member for being rotated thereby, said first gearwheel having a plurality of teeth on the periphery thereof, and a first switch including a fixed switch contact and a movable contact member fixedly supported at one end and having another end engaged with said teeth on said first gearwheel, said teeth being so shaped that said movable contact member is alternately brought into contact with said fixed switch contact and released from contact with said fixed switch contact causing said first detection signal to be produced by said first switch when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said second direction of rotation and said movable contact member is held apart from said fixed switch contact causing said second detection signal to be produced by said first switch when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said first direction of rotation;
correction signal generation means for providing a correction signal in response to rotation of said rotary actuation member, said correction signal comprising a pulse train, and the number of pulses of said pulse train being dependant upon the speed of rotation of said rotary actuation member;
first circuit means responsive to said first detection signal for enabling a correction of said time information in a forward direction, and further responsive to said second detection signal for enabling the correction of said time information in a reverse direction;
and
second circuit means responsive to said correction signal for correcting said time information.

6 more elements

An electronic timepiece comprising:

a source of a standard frequency signal;
frequency divider means responsive to said standard frequency signal for producing a standard time signal;
time indicating means responsive to said standard time signal for providing a display of time information;
a rotary actuation member rotatable in first and second directions;
detection means for detecting said first and second directions of rotation of said rotary actuation member to provide first and second detection signals indicative of said first and second directions of rotation respectively, said detection means comprising a gearwheel coupled to said rotary actuation member for being rotated thereby, said gearwheel having a plurality of teeth on the periphery thereof, a first switch including a first fixed contact connected to a first logic level potential, a second fixed contact connected to a second logic level potential, and a first movable contact fixedly supported at one end and having another end engaged with said teeth of said gearwheel, whereby said first movable contact is held in contact with said first fixed contact when said rotary actuation member is stationary and when said rotary actuation member rotated in said first direction of rotation and is alternately and repetitively brought into contact with said first fixed contact and said second fixed contact when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said second direction of rotation thereby causing a first switch signal to be produced by said first switch, a second switch including a third fixed contact connected to said first logic level potential, a fourth fixed contact connected to said second logic level potential, and a second movable contact fixedly supported at one end and having another end engaged with said teeth of said gearwheel, whereby said second movable contact is held in contact with said third fixed contact when said rotary actuation member is stationary and when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said second direction of rotation, and is alternately and repetitively brought into contact with said third fixed contact and said fourth fixed contact when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said first direction of rotation, thereby causing said second switch to produce a second switch signal, and further comprising flip-flop circuit means responsive to said first switch signal for producing said first detection signal, and responsive to said second switch signal for producing said second detection signal;
correction signal generation means for providing a correction signal in response to rotation of said rotary actuation member, said correction signal comprising a pulse train, and the number of pulses of said pulse train being dependant upon the speed of rotation of said rotary actuation member;
first circuit means responsive to said first detection signal for enabling a correction of said time information in a forward direction, and further responsive to said second detection signal for enabling the correction of said time information in a reverse direction;
and
second circuit means responsive to said correction signal for correcting said time information.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An electronic timepiece comprising:

a source of a standard frequency signal;
frequency divider means responsive to said standard frequency signal for producing a standard time signal;
time indicating means responsive to said standard time signal for providing a display of time information;
a rotary actuation member rotatable in first and second directions;
correction switch means coupled to said rotary actuation member for being actuated thereby to produce an output signal;
a direction detection circuit coupled to receive said output signal from said correction switch means, for producing a direction command signal indicative of a direction of rotation of said rotary actuation member and for further producing a switching signal comprising a pulse train having a period proportional to a speed of rotation of said rotary actuation member;
a correction pulse generating circuit coupled to receive clock pulse produced by said frequency divider means, said correction pulse generating circuit including counter means for counting a number of said clock pulses occuring between a pair of successive ones of said switching signal pulses, and further comprising circuit means responsive to said count of clock pulses for producing at least one correction pulse following said pair of successive switching signal pulses, with the number of correction pulses thus produced varying in an inverse manner with respect to said clock pulse count;
first circuit means responsive to a first status of said direction command signal for enabling a correction of said time information in a forward direction, and further responsive to a second status of said direction command signal for enabling the correction of said time information in a reverse direction;
and
second circuit means responsive to said correction pulses for correcting said time information;
said first status of said direction command signal being attained when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said first direction and said second status of said direction command signal being attained when said rotary actuation member is rotated in said second direction.

8 more elements