JP2011191220A - Analog electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an analog electronic timepiece capable of starting movement of a hand quickly when starting driving even if a gear has a backlash, when a hand is rotated by switching the moving direction. <P>SOLUTION: The analog electronic timepiece capable of moving a hand clockwise and counterclockwise includes a normally-rotatable and reversely-rotatable stepping motor, hands, and a plurality of gears for transmitting motion of the stepping motor to the hands. The timepiece further includes a correction pulse supply means (step S37-S39) for supplying a correction pulse for driving the stepping motor to a rotation direction corresponding to a next moving direction of a hand before a timing when the next movement request of the hand is generated, when the next moving direction of the hand is different from the previous moving direction ("YES" in step S34), after movement of the hand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an analog electronic timepiece capable of moving a pointer clockwise and counterclockwise.

  Previously, when driving by changing the direction of movement of the pointer, an extra drive pulse was output to the stepping motor to compensate for the non-rotation of the pointer due to gear backlash (meshing part play). An apparatus has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, in order to eliminate the displacement of the pointer due to gear backlash, when the pointer is rotated counterclockwise and sent to the set position, the pointer is temporarily rotated counterclockwise once to the set position. There is also a proposal for a control technique in which the needle is rotated to a position exceeding the position and then the pointer is rotated clockwise to return to the set position (for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

JP-A-7-225285 (paragraph 0115-0119, FIG. 19) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-043479 JP 57-166585 A

  In the case where a plurality of gears are interposed between the stepping motor and the pointer, the play of the meshing portions of the gears may accumulate, and the total amount of gear backlash may increase. For example, the total amount of gear backlash may be as large as a plurality of steps, for example, 2 to 5 steps in terms of the number of steps of the stepping motor. In this case, when the rotation direction of the stepping motor is reversed, the movement is not transmitted to the pointer unless the driving of a plurality of steps corresponding to the total amount of backlash is performed excessively.

  In addition, for example, in the case of performing control to start the counterclockwise movement of the pointer at a designated timing, there is a problem that the movement of the pointer is started with a delay of several steps if there is a gear backlash.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an analog electronic timepiece capable of quickly starting movement of a pointer at the start of driving even when there is a gear backlash when the movement direction of the pointer is switched and rotated. is there.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1
In an analog electronic timepiece comprising a stepping motor capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation, a pointer, and a plurality of gears for transmitting the movement of the stepping motor to the pointer, and capable of moving the pointer clockwise and counterclockwise ,
After moving the pointer, when the next movement direction of the pointer is different from the previous movement direction, the stepping motor is moved to the next of the pointer before the timing when the next movement request for the pointer is generated. A correction pulse supply means for supplying a correction pulse for driving in the rotational direction corresponding to the moving direction is provided.

The invention according to claim 2 is the analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1,
The correction pulse is
When the rotation direction of the stepping motor is reversed by the play of the meshing portions of the plurality of gears, the stepping motor motion is a pulse that drives the stepping motor by the number of steps that is not transmitted to the pointer. It is a feature.

The invention according to claim 3 is the analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1,
Offset storage means for storing a step offset value representing the maximum number of steps at which the movement of the stepping motor is not transmitted to the pointer when the rotation direction of the stepping motor is reversed by play of the meshing portions of the plurality of gears. With
The correction pulse supply means includes
The correction pulse for driving the stepping motor to the maximum number of steps is supplied based on the step offset value stored in the offset storage means.

The invention according to claim 4 is the analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1,
Forward / reverse rotation state storage means for storing forward / reverse rotation information indicating whether the plurality of gears are engaged in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation state of the stepping motor;
And information rewriting means for rewriting the forward / reverse rotation information to a value corresponding to the next moving direction based on the supply of the correction pulse by the correction pulse supply means.

The invention according to claim 5 is the analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1,
When the operation mode is switched, it is provided with mode switching control means for moving the pointer to a set position and stopping it,
The mode switching control means includes:
If the next movement direction of the pointer in the operation mode after switching is the same as the movement direction immediately before the pointer is stopped at the set position, the correction pulse supply means does not supply the correction pulse,
When the next movement direction of the pointer in the operation mode after switching is opposite to the movement direction immediately before the pointer is stopped at the set position, the correction pulse supply means supplies the correction pulse. It is said.

The invention according to claim 6 is the analog electronic timepiece according to claim 5,
The mode switching control means includes:
When the operation mode is switched to the subtraction timer mode in which the pointer is moved counterclockwise and the remaining time is displayed, the correction pulse is supplied when the pointer is moved clockwise and stopped at the set position. The correction pulse is supplied by means.

  According to the present invention, when the movement direction of the pointer is switched, a correction pulse corresponding to the next movement direction is supplied to the stepping motor before the timing at which the next movement request for the pointer is generated. Therefore, the play of the meshing portion of the gear is reduced in the reverse direction by this correction pulse. Therefore, when the stepping motor rotates at the timing of the next movement request, this rotation is quickly transmitted to the pointer, and the movement of the pointer can be started quickly.

1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an analog electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a 1st part of the flowchart which shows the control procedure of the process at the time of the mode switching performed by CPU. 4 is a second part of a flowchart of the mode switching process. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the subtraction timer process performed by CPU.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an analog electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The analog electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment rotates the three hands (hour hand, minute hand, second hand) 21 to display the current time, a time display function, a stopwatch function, and the hand 21 from the set time counterclockwise. It is an electronic timepiece that can provide a subtraction timer function that displays the remaining time by rotating it.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the analog electronic timepiece 1 transmits a plurality of hands 21 indicating information on a dial, a stepping motor 23 that drives the hands 21, and the rotational motion of the rotor of the stepping motor 23 to the hands 21. A gear train mechanism 22 in which a plurality of gears engaged with each other, a motor drive circuit 24 that outputs a drive current to the stepping motor 23 based on a drive pulse supplied from the CPU 34, and a power supply unit 40 that supplies an operating voltage to each unit. And an antenna 41 and a detection circuit 42 that receive and detect a standard radio wave including time information, an oscillation circuit 38 and a frequency divider 39 that generate a timing signal of a predetermined period, and a frequency divider 39. A time counting circuit 47 that counts a timing signal of a predetermined period and counts the current time, and has a plurality of operation buttons and is externally used by a user. An operation unit 44 for inputting an operation command by the CPU, a central processing unit (CPU) 34 that performs overall control of the analog electronic timepiece 1, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a control program and control data executed by the CPU 34 are stored. ) 36, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM) 35 in which control data is written in a setting process before factory shipment, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 37 that provides a working memory space to the CPU 34. Yes.

  The stepping motor 23 rotates the rotor by a predetermined angle (for example, 180 °) by receiving a pulsed drive voltage from the motor drive circuit 24 according to the drive pulse supplied from the CPU 34. In addition, the rotor can be rotated in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction according to the output pattern of the drive pulse.

  The frequency dividing circuit 39 supplies a time counting timing signal to the time counting circuit 47 and also supplies a fast-feed timing signal for giving an operation timing when the pointer 21 is fast-forwarded to the CPU 34.

  In the EEPROM 35, a step offset value “N” is stored in a predetermined area (offset storage means) 35a. This step offset value “N” indicates that the play (also referred to as backlash) of the meshing portions of the plurality of gears connecting the stepping motor 23 and the pointer 21 is reversed from the normal rotation side to the reverse rotation side, or from the reverse rotation side to the normal rotation side. This represents the number of driving steps of the stepping motor 23 necessary for reducing the height. That is, when the stepping motor 23 is driven by rotating the pointer 21 in one direction and then rotating in the reverse direction, even if the stepping motor 23 is step-driven by the number of times of the step offset value “N”, The movement is not transmitted to the pointer 21 (for example, the second hand having the largest movement amount), and the movement is transmitted to the pointer 21 from the next step drive, and the pointer 21 moves.

  Since the step offset value “N” varies for each product, measurement is performed in an adjustment process before factory shipment, and the obtained value is written in the EEPROM 35.

  In the analog electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, the step offset value “N” is designed to be smaller than “6” due to variations among individual products.

  In the ROM 36, as a control program executed by the CPU 34, a time display processing program 36 a, a stopwatch processing program 36 b, a subtraction timer processing program 36 c, a mode switching processing program 36 d, and an operation command via the operation unit 44 are displayed. An operation input processing program for switching the operation mode among the time display mode, stopwatch mode, and subtraction timer mode based on the input is stored.

  The time display processing program 36a outputs the driving pulse from the CPU 34 to the motor driving circuit 24 in synchronization with the counting time of the time counting circuit 47 so that the current time is displayed by the pointer 21, or detection is performed when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The counting time of the time counting circuit 47 is corrected by operating the circuit 42 and receiving the time code. The stopwatch processing program 36b waits for the operation of the start button of the operation unit 44 with the pointer 21 returned to zero, and when the start button is operated, the pointer 21 is rotated clockwise and the stop button is operated. Then, the rotation of the pointer 21 is stopped.

  Although details will be described later, the subtraction timer processing program 36c waits for the operation of the start button of the operation unit 44 while the pointer 21 is stopped at the set time position, and when the start button is operated, the pointer 21 is counterclockwise. While rotating around, the rotation of the pointer 21 is stopped when the stop button is operated.

  The mode switching processing program 36d, which will be described in detail later, is executed when the time is adjusted or when the operation mode is switched, and the next operation such as moving the position of the pointer 21 to the position necessary for the next operation by rapid traverse, etc. It prepares for the transition to the mode. The mode switching time processing program 36d and the CPU 34 for executing the mode switching time control means constitute a mode switching time control means.

  In the RAM 37, flag data 37a and pointer position counting data 37b are stored in a predetermined storage area, and these data are used in, for example, mode switching processing. The flag data 37 a includes a forward rotation flag “SEITEN” indicating that the gear of the gear train mechanism 22 is engaged with the forward rotation of the stepping motor 23, and a state where the gear is engaged with the reverse rotation of the stepping motor 23. A reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” indicating that there is a certain value and a zero return flag “KIREIF” indicating that there is a request to fast-forward the pointer 21 counterclockwise are included. The forward / reverse rotation state storage means is constituted by the forward rotation flag “SEITEN” and the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU”.

  The pointer position count data 37b includes the current position data “PT” indicating the current position of the pointer 21 as a step number from a predetermined position (for example, 00:00:00), and the pointer 21 is moved by mode switching processing. Destination data “SET” representing the destination to be moved by the number of steps from a predetermined position, and work data “WK” used for temporary counting in order to perform step driving for gear backlash. .

  For the current position data “PT”, for example, in this embodiment in which three pointers 21 are driven by one stepping motor 23, a value “0-43219” of 43200 (= 60 × 60 × 12) steps is counted. Will be. For example, the pointer 21 becomes “PT = 0” at the position of “00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds”, and is incremented by “1” every time one step advances clockwise.

  The current position data “PT” also reflects the influence of gear backlash, so that the stepping motor 23 is driven even when the stepping motor 23 is driven in the forward direction and the pointer 21 is moving clockwise. Even when the needle 21 is driven in the reverse direction and the pointer 21 is moving counterclockwise, the actual needle position matches the value.

  Next, operations of mode switching processing and subtraction timer processing executed by the analog electronic timepiece 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to flowcharts.

  2 and 3 are flowcharts of the mode switching process executed by the CPU 34. FIG.

  This mode switching process is performed immediately after receiving the standard radio wave in the time adjustment process, when switching from the time display mode to the stopwatch mode, when switching from the time display mode to the subtraction timer mode, Each time it starts when it is switched to the time display mode during timing.

  Immediately after receiving the standard radio wave in the time correction process, the position of the pointer 21 is fast-forwarded and corrected in accordance with the correction of the time measurement data of the time counting circuit 47. Therefore, the corrected position of the pointer 21 is the destination data. It is set to “SET” and shifts to the mode switching process.

  In addition, when the mode is switched to the stopwatch mode, in order to wait for the operation to start timing while the pointer 21 is at the “00:00” position, and when the mode is switched to the subtraction timer mode, Since the pointer 21 is moved to the position of the time set in advance by the user and waits for the timing start operation, these positions are set in the movement destination data “SET” and the process proceeds to the mode switching process.

  Further, when the time display mode is switched during the measurement of the stopwatch or the subtraction timer, the position of the time measured at the time of arrival of the pointer 21 is the destination data “ “SET” is set, and the process proceeds to the mode switching process.

  Further, when shifting to the mode switching process as described above, it is determined whether clockwise or counterclockwise is appropriate for moving the pointer 21 to the destination, and it is determined that counterclockwise is appropriate. In this case, after the zero return flag “KIREIF” in the RAM 37 is set to a valid value, the process proceeds to the mode switching process.

  When the mode switching process is started, first, the CPU 34 determines whether or not the forward rotation flag “SEITEN” in the RAM 37 is present (valid value or invalid value) (step S1). If the forward rotation flag “SEITEN” is not present (invalid value), the process proceeds to “NO” to determine whether the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” in the RAM 37 is present (step S12).

  Here, under normal circumstances, either the forward rotation flag “SEITEN” or the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” is set according to the previous movement direction of the pointer 21, and one of the determination processes in steps S 1 and S 2. It is determined that there is a flag. However, there are cases where both flags are not set in exceptional circumstances, for example, a mode change operation is performed while the rotation direction of the pointer 21 is being switched.

  Therefore, if it is determined that there is no flag in the determination processing in steps S1 and S2, exception processing (step S30) is executed to deal with this exceptional situation, and then the mode switching processing is terminated. .

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S1 that the forward rotation flag “SEITEN” is set, it is determined whether or not there is a zero return flag “KIREIF” in the RAM 37 indicating that the pointer 21 is fast-forwarded counterclockwise. (Step S2) If there is a flag, the process proceeds to the process of fast-forwarding the pointer 21 counterclockwise (steps S3 to S11). If there is no flag, the process of fast-forwarding the pointer 21 clockwise (step S31). To S33).

  In the process of fast-forwarding the pointer 21 in the counterclockwise direction (steps S3 to S11), a swing-back process is performed in which the pointer 21 is moved counterclockwise and then returned several steps in the clockwise direction. The pointer 21 is sent to the position of the movement destination in a state of being engaged in the shift. That is, when shifting to this processing, first, the CPU 34 subtracts “6” from the movement destination data “SET” in order to rotate the pointer 21 excessively, so that the movement destination data “SET” is counterclockwise 6. The position is reset to the step destination (step S3). Then, a driving pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 backward by one step is output (step S4), "1" is subtracted from the current position data "PT" (step S5), and the current position data "PT" becomes the destination data " It is determined whether or not it matches with “SET” (step S6). The output of the drive pulse in step S4 is performed based on the fast-forward timing signal from the frequency divider circuit 39. If the result of determination in step S6 is not a match, the process returns to step S4.

  That is, the loop processing of the above steps S4 to S6 is repeatedly performed until the current position data “PT” coincides with the movement destination data “SET”. It is sent by fast-forwarding from the position of the movement destination data “SET” to a position shifted by “6-N” to the forward rotation side).

  On the other hand, if they are matched in the determination process in step S6, the CPU 34 adds “6” to the movement destination data “SET” and returns it to the original set value (step S7). Then, a driving pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 forward by one step is output (step S8), "1" is added to the current position data "PT" (step S9), and the current position data "PT" becomes the destination data " It is determined whether or not it matches with “SET” (step S10). The drive pulse output in step S8 is performed based on the fast-forward timing signal from the frequency dividing circuit 39. If the result of determination in step S10 is not a match, the process returns to step S8.

  By the loop processing of steps S8 to S10, the pointer 21 is returned by several steps clockwise and adjusted to the position of the initial destination data “SET”. At this time, the play near the forward rotation of the meshing portion of the gear is reduced, and the gear is engaged with the forward rotation. Therefore, if they are matched in the determination process of stepping 10, the normal rotation flag “SEITEN” in the RAM 37 is set to an effective value (step S11), and the process proceeds to the next.

  If it is determined that the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” is present in the determination processing in step S12 described above, the process proceeds to “YES”, and then the CPU 34 confirms the presence or absence of the zero return flag “KIREIF” in the RAM 37 (step S12). S13). As a result, if there is a flag, processing (steps S19 to S21) for fast-forwarding the needle 21 counterclockwise is executed. That is, a driving pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 backward by one step is output (step S19), "1" is subtracted from the current position data "PT" (step S20), and the current position data "PT" becomes the destination data " It is determined whether or not it matches with “SET” (step S21). The output of the drive pulse in step S19 is performed based on the fast-forward timing signal from the frequency divider circuit 39. If the result of determination in step S21 is not a match, the process returns to step S19. The loop process of steps S19 to S22 is repeated until the current position data “PT” matches the destination data “SET”.

  Through the processing of steps S19 to S21, the pointer 21 can be moved to the position of the destination data “SET”. At this time, the gear is engaged in the reverse direction (the reverse flag “GYAKU” is present). It has become. Then, next, the process shifts to a process (steps S22 to S25) for closing play generated in the forward rotation of the meshing portion of the gear. When this process is started, first, the CPU 34 sets the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” in the RAM 37 to an invalid value and erases it (step S22), and outputs a drive pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 forward by one step (step S23). The work data “WK” whose initial value is “0” is added by “1” (step S24), and whether the work data “WK” matches the step offset value “N” stored in the EEPROM 35. It discriminate | determines (step S25). If no match is found, the process returns to step S22.

  In other words, the loop process of steps S22 to S25 is repeated as many times as the step offset value “N”, so that the play that occurs when the gear is close to the forward rotation is packed and the gear is meshed close to the forward rotation. Can be switched to. At this time, since the rotary motion is not transmitted to the pointer 21 due to the backlash of the gear, the pointer 21 does not move. On the other hand, if the coincidence is determined in the determination process in step S25, the gear is switched to a state of meshing in the forward rotation direction, so the normal rotation flag “SEITEN” in the RAM 37 is set (step S26) and the subtraction is performed. The process proceeds to timer preparation processing (steps S34 to S40).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the zero-return flag “KIREIF” is not present, the process proceeds to a process (steps S14 to S19) in which play caused by the forward rotation of the meshing portion of the gear is reduced. When this process is started, first, the CPU 34 sets the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” in the RAM 37 to an invalid value and erases it (step S14), and outputs a drive pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 forward by one step (step S15). The work data “WK” whose initial value is “0” is added by “1” (step S16), and whether the work data “WK” matches the step offset value “N” stored in the EEPROM 35. It discriminate | determines (step S17). If no match is found, the process returns to step S15.

  That is, the loop process of steps S15 to S17 is repeated the number of times of the step offset value “N”, so that the play that occurs when the gear is close to the forward rotation is packed, and the gear is engaged close to the forward rotation. Can be switched to. At this time, since the rotary motion is not transmitted to the pointer 21 due to the backlash of the gear, the pointer 21 does not move.

  On the other hand, if the coincidence is determined in the determination process in step S17, the gear is switched to a state of meshing in the forward rotation direction, so the normal rotation flag “SEITEN” in the RAM 37 is set (step S18), and the pointer The process proceeds to the process of fast-forwarding 21 (steps S31 to S33).

  When this processing is shifted, since the gears are meshed in the forward rotation both in the case of shifting from step S2 and in the case of shifting from step S18, the CPU 34 first drives the stepping motor 23 to rotate forward one step. A pulse is output (step S31), the current position data “PT” is incremented by “1” (step S32), and it is determined whether the current position data “PT” matches the destination data “SET” (step S33). The output of the drive pulse in step S31 is performed based on the fast-forward timing signal from the frequency dividing circuit 39. If the result of determination in step S33 is not the same, the process returns to step S31. The pointer 21 is sent to the position of the movement destination data “SET” by repeating the loop processing of steps S31 to S33 until they match. If it is determined as a result of the determination in step S33, the process proceeds to the next.

  Through the process of fast-forwarding the pointer 21 counterclockwise (steps S3 to S11), (steps S19 to S26), or the process of fast-forwarding the pointer 21 clockwise (steps S31 to S33), the pointer 21 Is moved to the position of the destination data “SET”, the process proceeds to the subtraction timer preparation process (steps S34 to S40).

  After shifting to this process, first, the CPU 34 confirms whether or not the next operation mode to be switched is the subtraction timer mode (step S34), and if it is not the subtraction timer mode, preparation for the subtraction timer is unnecessary, so this mode is kept as it is. The process at the time of switching ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the next operation mode is the subtraction timer mode, first, in order to change from the state where the gear 21 meshes in the forward direction to the state in which the gear 21 meshes in the reverse direction, first, The CPU 34 writes the step offset value “N” of the EEPROM 35 into the work data “WK” in the RAM 37 (step S35). Next, the normal rotation flag “SEITEN” in the RAM 37 is set to an invalid value and erased (step S36: information rewriting means).

  Subsequently, the CPU 34 outputs a drive pulse as a correction pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 backward by one step (step S37), and further subtracts "1" from the work data "WK" (step S38). It is determined whether “WK” has become “0” (step S39). If it has not reached “0”, the process returns to step S37.

  That is, the loop process of steps S37 to S39 is repeated as many times as the step offset value “N”, so that the play that has occurred near the reverse rotation of the gear is packed and the gear is engaged near the reverse rotation. It is done. At this time, since the rotary motion is not transmitted to the pointer 21 due to the backlash of the gear, the pointer 21 does not move. The correction pulse supply means is configured by the processing of steps S37 to S39.

  When it is determined in the determination process in step S39 that the work data “WK” has become “0”, the loop process is exited and the reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” in the RAM 37 is set (step S40: information rewriting). means). Then, the mode switching process is terminated.

  When the operation mode is switched by the above mode switching process, the pointer 21 is fast-forwarded to a position required for the next operation mode, and the pointer 21 can start moving quickly in the next operation mode. The play of the meshing portion of the gear is brought to the forward rotation or the reverse rotation, and correction control is performed. That is, when the next operation mode is other than the subtraction timer mode, the next movement direction of the pointer 21 is clockwise, so that the gear is engaged in the forward rotation (the state where the play is in the reverse rotation). . When the next operation mode is the subtraction timer mode, the moving direction of the next pointer 21 is determined to be counterclockwise, so that the gear meshes so that the gear meshes in the reverse direction. A correction that shifts the play of the part to the forward rotation is made.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the subtraction timer process executed by the CPU 34.

  This subtraction timer process is started in a state where the pointer 21 is set to the set position after the above-described mode switching process after the subtraction timer function is selected by the user's operation input on the operation unit 44. When the subtraction timer process is started, the CPU 34 waits for the next movement request of the pointer 21 for starting time measurement, that is, the input of the start button of the operation unit 44 (step S51).

  If there is an input from the start button, the process proceeds to the next, and the CPU 34 outputs a drive pulse for rotating the stepping motor 23 backward by one step (step S52). Here, since the gear is meshed in the reverse rotation direction (the play of the meshing portion is shifted in the normal rotation direction) by the above-described mode switching process, the counterclockwise direction of the pointer 21 from the first drive pulse. The movement around will be started. The output of the drive pulse in step S52 is performed based on the input of the 1 second signal from the time counting circuit 47.

  When the drive pulse is output, the CPU 34 subtracts “1” from the current position data “PT” in the RAM 37 (step S53), and confirms whether the stop button of the operation unit 44 has been input (step S54). If no stop button is input, the process returns to step S52.

  Then, the loop processing of steps S52 to S54 is repeated until the stop button is input, so that the pointer 21 moves counterclockwise at a constant cycle after the timing is started, and the remaining time of the subtraction timer is displayed by the pointer 21. It has become so.

  On the other hand, if there is an input of the stop button, the movement of the pointer 21 is stopped by exiting the above loop processing and proceeding to the “YES” side in the discrimination processing in step S54, and this subtraction timer processing ends.

  As described above, according to the analog electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, when the next movement direction of the pointer 21 is known to be the counterclockwise direction by the mode switching process, the next movement of the pointer 21 is performed. Before there is a request (for example, a timing start operation of the subtraction timer function), a correction drive pulse for reversely rotating the stepping motor 23 is output, so that correction that closes the play occurring near the reverse rotation of the gear is made. It has become. As a result, when the next movement request for the pointer 21 (operation to start timing) is made, the rotational motion of the stepping motor 23 is immediately transmitted to the pointer 21 so that the pointer 21 can be quickly started to rotate.

  Further, in the above-described process for reducing the play of the meshing portion of the gear, since the stepping motor 23 is driven within a range in which the pointer 21 does not move, an apparently beautiful operation can be obtained without causing any strange movement of the pointer 21. It is done.

  Further, according to the analog electronic timepiece 1 of this embodiment, the EEPROM 35 stores the step offset value “N” representing the total amount of play of the meshing portion of the gear in the number of steps, and the gear is changed based on this value. Backlash control is performed to change from the state of meshing in the forward direction to the state of meshing in the reverse direction, or vice versa. Therefore, even when there is a variation in the size of the play for each product, the backlash control can be realized corresponding to the variation by appropriately setting the step offset value “N”. Can do.

  Further, as the step offset value “N”, the maximum number of steps at which the movement of the stepping motor 23 is not transmitted to the pointer 21 when the rotation direction of the stepping motor 23 is reversed is stored. With the gear return control based on “,” when the stepping motor 23 is next driven in the reverse rotation direction, the effect that the pointer 21 can be immediately rotated is obtained.

  Further, a forward rotation flag “SEITEN” and a reverse rotation flag “GYAKU” indicating whether the gear is engaged in the forward rotation or in the reverse rotation are provided, and the gear has a step offset value “N”. In the control to rotate only, the one flag is turned off and the other flag is set according to the direction of rotation. It is possible to hold state information indicating whether or not they are engaged.

  Further, in the mode switching process executed at the time of switching the operation mode, when the movement direction of the pointer 21 required in the operation mode after the switching is clockwise, the process proceeds to the next operation mode as it is. When the next required movement direction of the pointer 21 is counterclockwise, such as in the subtraction timer mode, the stepping motor 23 is rotated backward by the number of step offset values “N” before the next operation mode. Migrate to Therefore, in each operation mode after switching, the movement of the pointer 21 can be started promptly at the timing of driving the pointer 21 without delaying the driving timing of the pointer 21 due to gear backlash.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the hands are not limited to the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand, and the stepping motor is not limited to the configuration in which the three hands are driven by one stepping motor, and the two hands or one hand is driven by one stepping motor. It is good also as a structure.

  Further, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the control for narrowing the play of the meshing portion of the gear in the direction corresponding to the next rotation direction at the time of switching the operation mode is performed, but not only at the time of switching the operation mode, When the next movement direction of the pointer has been determined and the previous movement direction and the next movement direction are different, the same effect can be obtained even if the similar control is executed.

  In the above embodiment, the external operation indicating the start of timing is exemplified as the next movement request for the hands, but the next movement request for the hands is not given from the outside, but is generated inside the analog electronic timepiece. Also good. In addition, the detailed configuration and the detailed method shown in the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Analog electronic timepiece 21 Pointer 22 Wheel train mechanism 23 Stepping motor 24 Motor drive circuit 34 CPU
35 EEPROM
35a Step offset value storage area 36 ROM
36c Subtraction timer processing program 36d Mode switching processing program 38 Oscillation circuit 39 Dividing circuit 44 Operation unit 47 Time counting circuit

Claims (6)

In an analog electronic timepiece comprising a stepping motor capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation, a pointer, and a plurality of gears for transmitting the movement of the stepping motor to the pointer, and capable of moving the pointer clockwise and counterclockwise ,
After moving the pointer, when the next movement direction of the pointer is different from the previous movement direction, the stepping motor is moved to the next of the pointer before the timing when the next movement request for the pointer is generated. An analog electronic timepiece comprising correction pulse supply means for supplying a correction pulse for driving in a rotation direction corresponding to a moving direction. The correction pulse is
When the rotation direction of the stepping motor is reversed by the play of the meshing portions of the plurality of gears, the stepping motor motion is a pulse that drives the stepping motor by the number of steps that is not transmitted to the pointer. The analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein: Offset storage means for storing a step offset value representing the maximum number of steps at which the movement of the stepping motor is not transmitted to the pointer when the rotation direction of the stepping motor is reversed by play of the meshing portions of the plurality of gears. With
The correction pulse supply means includes
2. The analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the correction pulse for driving the stepping motor to the maximum number of steps is supplied based on the step offset value stored in the offset storage means. Forward / reverse rotation state storage means for storing forward / reverse rotation information indicating whether the plurality of gears are engaged in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation state of the stepping motor;
The analog electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising information rewriting means for rewriting the forward / reverse rotation information to a value corresponding to the next moving direction based on the supply of the correction pulse by the correction pulse supply means. clock. When the operation mode is switched, it is provided with mode switching control means for moving the pointer to a set position and stopping it,
The mode switching control means includes:
If the next movement direction of the pointer in the operation mode after switching is the same as the movement direction immediately before the pointer is stopped at the set position, the correction pulse supply means does not supply the correction pulse,
When the next movement direction of the pointer in the operation mode after switching is opposite to the movement direction immediately before the pointer is stopped at the set position, the correction pulse supply means supplies the correction pulse. The analog electronic timepiece according to claim 1. The mode switching control means includes:
When the operation mode is switched to the subtraction timer mode in which the pointer is moved counterclockwise and the remaining time is displayed, the correction pulse is supplied when the pointer is moved clockwise and stopped at the set position. The analog electronic timepiece according to claim 5, wherein the correction pulse is supplied by means.

Images