JPH0224353B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an electronic timepiece, particularly an electronic timepiece having an analog display section and a digital display section. This invention relates to an electronic timepiece which is specified as an automatic return mode and automatically returns to the previously specified display mode after the interrupt display mode ends.

Conventionally, the automatic return function of a digital display section has been used when a switching circuit is provided in the digital display section to display a large amount of information with a small number of digits. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, when the digital display unit 1 has 4 digits, the hours and minutes of the time are displayed, and if you want to know the details down to the seconds, then
Since digits cannot be displayed, a switch 2 is used to change the digital display contents to display "seconds". Also, when the user wants to know about the month and day, the switch 2 is used to display the month and day on the digital display section 1. Then, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from displaying these seconds and months and days, the display automatically returns to the fixed time mode in which hours and minutes are displayed. This situation is shown in Figure B. That is, when the switch 2 is turned on and off, the display changes sequentially to "hours/minutes" 3, "seconds" 4, and "month/day" 5, which are displayed on the digital display section 1. Further, when a predetermined time elapses in a specific display mode, for example, displaying "seconds" (4), the mode automatically returns to "hours/minutes" (3). Similarly, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed for "Month/Day" 5, the mode automatically returns to the time mode of "Hour/Minute" 3.

Figure 2A shows the analog display section 6 that displays the time.
, a digital display section 7 that displays the contents of various additional functions including the time, and a switch 8 that is an external operating member that switches the display contents of the digital display section 7.
FIG. 9 is a front view of an electronic timepiece 10 having 9. The digital display section 7 displays, in addition to the "hours and minutes" 11 of the time, an "alarm time" 12, a calendar "day of the week" 13, and a "second" 14 that represents a more detailed time than the hours and minutes of the time. and are displayed on the digital display section 7 in the order shown in FIG.

By the way, in the electronic watch 10 that normally displays the time on the analog display section 6 as shown in FIG. Rather, it would be more convenient for the user to select an automatic return mode depending on how they use the device, and it is desirable to realize this mode.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides that when a digital display section has a plurality of display modes, the user can select the display mode that is most used or the display mode that the user wants to temporarily display as the automatic return mode. To provide an electronic timepiece that always automatically returns to a desired display mode without going through the trouble of changing the display mode. Therefore, the electronic timepiece of the present invention includes an analog display section and a digital display section for displaying the time, and the digital display section is equipped with various display modes for displaying the contents of other additional functions, and the electronic timepiece is equipped with an external operation member. Change the display mode by switching the display switching circuit,
The electronic timepiece that displays display contents corresponding to the display mode on the digital display section is characterized by being configured as follows.

That is, an external operating member for specifying automatic return mode is provided separately from the external operating member for display switching, and switching signals are sequentially generated and input to the display switching circuit based on the operation of the external operating member for display switching,
a shift circuit for sequentially switching display modes; and a memory circuit for storing one display mode currently designated by the shift circuit as an automatic return mode when the automatic return mode designating external operation member is operated; and a timer circuit that emits an automatic return signal that resets the shift circuit after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the display switching external operation member was operated, and the display switching external operation member is stored in the storage circuit as the previous shift circuit is reset. The display switching circuit is characterized in that the display switching circuit automatically returns to the display mode that was selected.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of one embodiment of the electronic timepiece according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows the circuit configuration of one embodiment of the switch control section used in FIG.

In FIG. 3, numerals 8 and 9 correspond to those in FIG. Reference numeral 15 is an oscillation circuit, 16 is a frequency dividing circuit, and 17 to 23 are counters. Counter 17 indicates "seconds," counter 18 indicates "minutes," counter 19 indicates "hours," and counter 20 indicates "days." of,
The counter 21 counts the "day of the week", and the counters 22 and 23 are used to set an alarm time, with the counter 22 representing "minutes" and the counter 23 representing "hours". 24 is a switch control unit (the switch control unit 24 will be explained in detail in FIG. 4), and 25 is a display switching circuit that corresponds to each display mode based on the signal output from the switch control unit 24. 26 is a decoder/driver circuit, and 27 is a display element.

The switch 8 is a switch for changing the display, and the switch 9 is a switch serving as an external operation member for specifying an automatic return mode for specifying a display mode to be automatically returned. Therefore, when the switch 8 is turned on or off, a signal specifying the display mode is outputted from the switch control section 24 to the display switching circuit 25. The display switching circuit 25 selects the output of the counter corresponding to the display mode, and the display is sequentially switched in the order of "day of the week", "seconds", "hours and minutes", and "alarm time".

FIG. 4 shows the circuit configuration of one embodiment of the switch control section, and reference numerals 8 and 9 in the figure correspond to those in FIG. 29 is a chattering prevention circuit; 30 is a differentiating circuit that generates an output signal the moment the switch 8 is turned off; 31 is a timer circuit that receives the signal output from the differentiating circuit 30 for a predetermined period of time. , for example, one that outputs an output signal after two seconds have elapsed, 32 is a chattering prevention circuit, 33 or 3
Reference numeral 5 denotes a shift register which constitutes a shift circuit as a whole, and which sequentially changes the display according to the input of switch 8. Reference numerals 36 to 39 are flip-flop circuits which specify which display is currently set as the display mode to be automatically returned to. 40 is an OR gate and a timer circuit 31
(automatic return signal) or when a display mode to be automatically returned to is specified, the shift registers 33 to 35 are reset to the initial state, and 41 to 44 are AND gates which are connected to the flip-flop circuits. 36 to 39, these flip-flop circuits 3
6 to 39 and AND gates 41 to 44 constitute a storage circuit for storing a designated display mode to be automatically returned to. 45 to 4
8 is an OR gate that passes a signal for resetting flip-flop circuits other than the specified display mode to be automatically returned; 49;
are NOR gates, 50 to 65 are AND gates that pass the outputs (display switching signals) of shift registers 33 to 35 according to the specified display mode to be automatically returned to, and 66 to 69 are OR gates, which are as described above. The outputs of the AND gates 50 to 65 are passed through, and 70 to 73 are output terminals of the display switching circuit 25 shown in FIG.
A signal for selecting the output of each counter 17 to 23 is output in the terminal 70, a signal to select the "day of the week" is output to the terminal 71, a signal to select "second" is output to the terminal 72, and a signal to select the "second" is output to the terminal 72. terminal 73 represents a terminal to which a signal for selecting "hour/minute" is output, and a terminal 73 to which a signal for displaying "alarm time" is output.

Next, the operation of the figure will be explained.

It is now assumed that the display mode to be automatically returned to is set to "day of the week", and that the display mode to be automatically returned to, "day of the week", is currently being displayed. In this case, the output Q of the flip-flop circuit 36 is at H level, and the AND gates 50, 55, 6
0.65 is opened. Then, when the display mode returns to the previous one, the ORGATE 40
Since the contents of the registers 33 to 35 are reset to zero via the NOR gate 49, the NOR gate 49 outputs an H level output. Accordingly, and gate 5
0, an H level output is generated at the output terminal 70 via the OR gate 66, and the "day of the week" in the automatic return mode is displayed.

Here, an explanation will be given of the interrupt display mode in which the switch 8 is turned on and off once. When the switch 8 is turned on and off, a pulse signal is inputted to the input CK of the shift register 33 via the chattering prevention circuit 29. Since the H level of the NOR gate 49 has already been input to the input D of the shift register 33, its output Q becomes the H level. That is,
This means that the shift register group has been shifted by one, and the output of the NOR gate 49 becomes L level. Therefore, the output of the AND gate 50 becomes L level, and the input D of the shift register 33 becomes L level.
The level is entered. And shift register 3
The H level signal of the output Q of No. 3 passes through the AND gate 55 whose gate is already open, and passes through the OR gate 67.
An H level signal is output to the output terminal 71 via the output terminal 71. As a result, "seconds", which is the interrupt display mode, will be displayed. Further, by turning the switch 8 on and off once within a predetermined time, the shift register group is shifted by one, and the output Q of the shift register 34 becomes H level. Therefore, as explained above, the output terminal 72 becomes H level through the AND gate 60 and the OR gate 68, and the "hour/minute" which is the interrupt display mode is displayed. Similarly, when the switch 8 is subsequently turned on and off, the output of the AND gate 65 becomes H level, and the output terminal 73 becomes H level, so that the interrupt display mode "alarm time" is displayed.

In this way, each time the switch 8 is turned on and off within a predetermined period of time, a display switching signal is sequentially issued from the shift register group, and the display is switched in the order of "day of the week", "seconds", "hours and minutes", and "alarm time", respectively. The display contents corresponding to the interrupt display mode are displayed.

Next, a description will be given of an operation in which, for example, when the switch 8 is not turned on or off within a predetermined time in the "second" interrupt display mode, the "day of the week" is displayed in the automatic return mode.

When the switch 8 is turned on or off, a pulse signal generated in the anti-chattering circuit 29 is input to the differentiating circuit 30, which activates the timer circuit 31. The timer circuit 31 starts operating from the moment the switch 8 is turned from on to off, and operates for a predetermined period of time.
For example, when approximately 2 seconds have elapsed (this time can be changed arbitrarily), an automatic return signal is output, and the signal is sent to the shift register 33 or 3 via the OR gate 40.
The contents of 5 are reset to return to the initial state. That is, the outputs Q of the shift registers 33 to 35 are each at L level. As a result, Noah Gate 4
9 becomes H level, and the H level signal is input to the input D of the shift register 35, and the H level signal is outputted to the output terminal 70 via the AND gate 50 and the OR gate 66 as described above. Accordingly, the display automatically returns from "seconds" to the pre-specified automatic return mode "day of the week." Regarding this automatic return, no matter which display the display is in, the shift registers 23 to 25 are reset and returned to the initial state, that is, the automatic return mode "day of the week", so the display mode to be automatically returned to is specified as "day of the week". The above operation is repeated as long as the

Next, the operation of arbitrarily specifying the automatic return mode will be described.

For example, assume that the display mode to be automatically returned to in the above description is changed from "day of the week" to "seconds." In one embodiment shown in the switch control section 24 of FIG. 4, the switch 8 is used to change the display to the one desired to designate the automatic return mode, and the switch 9 is operated to switch the automatic return mode. For example, if the current display is "seconds", the output terminal 71 is set to H as explained above.
It has become a level. In this state, when the switch 9 is activated, the chattering prevention circuit 32
The H level signal generated from the AND gate 41
to 44. The AND gate 42 is open because the output terminal 71 is at H level, and the H level signal output from the chattering prevention circuit 32 is transmitted to the AND gate 42.
through which the flip-flop circuit 37 is set. Further, the H level signal passing through the AND gate 42 resets the contents of the shift registers 33 to 35 to zero via the OR gate 40. The set flip-flop circuit 37 opens the AND gates 53, 54, 59, and 64, and simultaneously opens the OR gates 45 and 4.
7, 48 to another flip-flop circuit 3
6, 38, and 39 are reset. Since the NOR gate 49 is set to H level by resetting the shift registers 33 to 35, this H level signal is applied to the AND gates 50, 54, 58, 6.
Sent to 4. As a result, the AND gate 55 is switched from the AND gate 54 to generate an H level output at the output terminal 71.

In this way, when the flip-flop circuit 37 for displaying "seconds" is set, when a predetermined time elapses in other display modes, the output from the timer circuit 31 (automatic return signal) is used to control the shift registers 33 to 35. Since the contents are reset, the AND gate 54 sends an H level signal to the output terminal 72, and the mode is always automatically returned to the automatic return mode in which "seconds" are displayed.

As can be seen from the above explanation, when the flip-flop circuit 38 is set by the switch 9, the automatic return mode is set to display "hours and minutes", and when the flip-flop circuit 39 is set, the "alarm time" is displayed. Automatic return mode is activated.

If the switch 8 is activated within a predetermined time, the display can be changed in the order of "day of the week,""seconds,""hours/minutes," and "alarm time." If you leave it without
The specified display mode to be automatically returned to is automatically returned to, and the display contents corresponding to the display mode are displayed.

As explained above, according to the present invention, even if an interrupt display is displayed on the digital display section to select the display mode desired by the user, it is possible to automatically return to the display mode desired by the user without going through each display mode once. There is an advantage that the display mode to be automatically returned to can be arbitrarily selected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1A and B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a digital electronic timepiece, Figures 2A and B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a digital/analog type electronic timepiece, and Figure 3 is an illustration for explaining an electronic timepiece according to the present invention. Example configuration, FIG. 4 is the third
An example circuit configuration of the switch control section used in the figure. 6...Analog display section, 7...Digital display section, 8, 9...Switch, 10...Electronic clock, 2
4...Switch control unit, 25...Display switching circuit,
29, 32...Chattering prevention circuit, 30...
Differential circuit, 31...Timer circuit, 33 to 35
...Register, 36 to 39...Flip-flop circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An analog display section that displays the time and a digital display section are provided, and the digital display section is provided with various display modes that display the contents of other additional functions, and the display can be switched using an external operating member. In an electronic watch that changes the display mode by switching the circuit and displays display contents corresponding to the display mode on the digital display section, an external operation member for specifying an automatic return mode is provided separately from the external operation member for switching the display. and sequentially outputting switching signals to the display switching circuit based on the operation of the display switching external operation member,
a shift circuit for sequentially switching display modes; and a memory circuit for storing one display mode currently designated by the shift circuit as an automatic return mode when the automatic return mode designating external operation member is operated; and a timer circuit that emits an automatic return signal that resets the shift circuit after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the display switching external operation member was operated, and the display switching external operation member is stored in the storage circuit as the previous shift circuit is reset. An electronic timepiece characterized in that the display switching circuit automatically returns to a display mode that has been changed.