JP2009180511A - Radio watch system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein accurate time can not be provided by a such a system that the time becomes wrong little by little with the lapse of time, although the time is displayed by accuracy of a crystal oscillation circuit possessed by a watch, when a state where time information is not inputted to respective watches, continues, since a watch incapable of acquiring time information from an external standard time information source cannot hold the highly accurate time. <P>SOLUTION: Highly accurate time information acquired from the external standard time information source by a radio wave receiving antenna, is compared with the time information acquired from other plurality of watches, by a time comparing means of the watch, and the watch is counted by a time counting means with a comparison result, and the time transmitted from the time counting means is displayed by a time display means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a wireless timepiece system that performs time adjustment wirelessly. Each clock obtains time information from an external time information source and maintains high-accuracy time, but if there is a clock that cannot obtain time from an external time information source, high-accuracy time information is The present invention relates to a wireless clock system in which each clock can hold an accurate time by transmitting the time information to a clock for which external time information cannot be obtained from the held clock.

There is a parent clock that holds highly accurate time information. A plurality of relay devices are provided to receive the highly accurate time information of the parent clock, and the relay device holds the highly accurate time information from the parent clock. There is known a wireless clock system in which time information is transmitted wirelessly such as radio waves from a relay device to a plurality of slave clocks, and each slave clock is corrected at the same time as the master clock. The reference time of the parent clock is received by an electric wave or the like from an external standard time information source and holds a highly accurate time. This wireless clock system has an advantage that it can be freely arranged within a range in which the time information can be received because it does not require a wire for transmitting the time information between the relay device and the slave clock.
JP 2007-10621 A

  Although it is necessary to transmit the time information from the parent clock holding the highly accurate time information to the relay device wirelessly or by wire, there is a limit to the distance that can be transmitted between the parent clock and the relay device. In addition, there is a limit in the receivable distance for wireless transmission from the relay device to the slave clock. Also, if there is a one-to-one relationship between the parent clock and the relay device, it may occur that the reception is not possible due to some trouble, and if the time information is not input to the child clock, the child clock has The time is engraved with the existing quartz, and the time is shifted due to the accuracy of the quartz. Further, if an external time information source is obtained only by the master clock, all relay devices and slave clocks depend on the time accuracy possessed by the master clock when reception is not possible due to a reception failure or the like. In the unlikely event that transmission from an external time information source is not successful, if the parent clock obtains the wrong time, all the child clocks will display the wrong time. Such a system cannot provide an accurate time.

  It is description of a 1st wireless timepiece system. A time for obtaining time information from an external time information source is set in advance by the clock reception control means. A signal for obtaining time information from the reception control means is transmitted to the time radio wave receiving means, high-precision time information is received from the external standard time information source from the radio wave receiving antenna, and is held by the reception time holding means. Further, the reception control means transmits an acquisition signal to the wireless communication means at the set time, and transmits a time request signal to another timepiece capable of communication via the wireless communication antenna. The other timepiece that has received the request signal transmits the time information held in the reception time holding means via the wireless communication means and the wireless communication antenna to the timepiece requesting the time information. Time signals sent from a plurality of other timepieces are captured in the order of reception by the wireless communication antenna and the wireless communication means, and are held in the time comparison means. The time comparison means compares the time held by the reception time holding means with the time information received from another clock, and the time information is transmitted to the time counting means according to the condition, and the time is corrected. The clock is counted by the time counting means, and the time transmitted from the time counting means is displayed by the time display means.

  In the second embodiment, reception setting means is provided in the timepiece of the first wireless timepiece system so that the time of receiving time information from an external time information source and other timepieces can be arbitrarily set. Yes. Further, the time of the clock can be corrected manually by the reception setting means.

  In the third embodiment, reception status confirmation means is provided in the timepiece of the second wireless timepiece system. Time information from an external time information source and other clocks is received, information on when it was corrected is obtained from the time measuring means, and the reception status is displayed to confirm the status. When reception is not possible, the reception setting means 30 can forcibly receive the signal to an external time information source and obtain time information.

  According to the wireless timepiece system of the present invention, each timepiece can hold a time with higher accuracy than an external standard time information source, but there is a timepiece that cannot obtain time information with high accuracy from an external time information source due to some influence. If it exists, time information is obtained wirelessly from a plurality of watches holding other highly accurate times, and the time is corrected according to the conditions. Even when highly accurate time information can be obtained from an external time information source, it is possible to obtain and compare time information from other clocks together, so that even if an incorrect time is received by one clock, it is erroneous. Can be prevented from being corrected at the same time. Therefore, a timepiece constructed with a wireless timepiece system can provide highly accurate and highly reliable time.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a first wireless timepiece system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The timepiece 2 receives and holds highly accurate time information from the external standard time information source 1 by the radio wave receiving antenna 3. The timepiece 2 is provided with a wireless communication antenna 5 that transmits and receives time information to other timepieces wirelessly. There are a plurality of watches 2, and each watch 2 can perform wireless communication. In this figure, the timepiece 2 is shown up to ac, but the number can be set arbitrarily.

  In the timepiece a? C, first, the radio wave receiving antenna 3 receives highly accurate time information from the external standard time information source 1. If there is a clock 2 from which the time information cannot be obtained from the external standard time information source 1, the time information is transmitted from the other clock via the wireless communication antenna 5, the time data is compared, and the clock is set according to the conditions. The time is corrected within 2. Explaining in this figure, for example, when time c cannot be received with high accuracy from the external standard time information source 1 by the clock 2 c, the time information is transmitted from the clock 2 c to the clock 2 a and b. Is transmitted from the wireless communication antenna 5 of the watch 2 to the wireless communication antennas 5 a and b of the watch 2. The time information of a and b of the timepiece 2 is transmitted from each wireless communication antenna 5 to the wireless communication antenna 5 of the timepiece 2c. In c of the clock 2, the transmitted time information is confirmed, the time is corrected according to the conditions, and the clock display is corrected. Similarly, the a of the watch 2 transmits a signal for sending the time information to the b and c of the watch 2, but the c of the watch 2 has received high-precision time information from the standard time information source 1. Because there is no time information is not returned. The time 2a of the timepiece 2 compares high-accuracy time information obtained from the external standard time information source 1 with the time obtained from time b of the timepiece 2, and performs time correction processing and timepiece display correction processing according to conditions. The b of the timepiece 2 performs the same processing as a. In this figure, the time information is transmitted from two of the clocks 2a and 2b. However, if there are other clocks that can be transmitted and received, they can also be transmitted from them to compare multiple times. High accuracy time can be obtained and reliability is improved. The number of time information from each clock can be arbitrarily set by the clock. The time correction condition will be described later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the timepiece of the first wireless timepiece system of the present invention.
First, the case where time information can be obtained from the external standard time information source 1 will be described.
The reception control means 10 of the timepiece 2 sets a time for obtaining time information from the external standard time information source 1. For example, 6 o'clock and 20 o'clock or every hour on the hour can be set in advance. When the time of the time measuring means 18 described later coincides with the time set by the reception control means 10, a signal for obtaining time information is transmitted to the time radio wave receiving means 12. The time radio wave receiving unit 12 restores the time wave information with high accuracy received from the external standard time information source 1 from the radio wave receiving antenna 3. The external standard time information source 1 includes GPS, long wave standard radio wave, and the like. The highly accurate time information restored by the time radio wave receiving means 12 is held while the reception time holding means 14 counts the time. Since the held time generally shifts due to the accuracy error of the crystal oscillation circuit, the time information after a certain time may be deleted.

The time information held in the reception time holding unit 14 is transmitted to the time comparison unit 16. The reception control means 10 not only sends a time reception signal to the time radio wave reception means 12, but also sets the time for obtaining time information from another clock. In this case, since the signal for receiving time information from another clock is received when the external standard time information source 1 cannot be received, the time is shifted slightly later than the time for obtaining the time information from the external standard time information source 1. It is good to set to the time.

  The reception control means 10 transmits an acquisition signal to the wireless communication means 24 at the set time. The wireless communication unit 24 transmits a request signal for transmitting time information to the receivable timepiece 2 via the wireless communication antenna 5. The timepiece 2 that has received the signal transmits the time information to the wireless communication antenna 5 of the timepiece 2 that has requested the time information. However, when the time is not held in the reception time holding means 14 of the clock 2 that has received the request, it is not transmitted as a high-precision time is not held. The timepiece 2 that has received the time information via the wireless communication antenna 5 transmits the time information from the wireless communication means 24 to the time comparison means 16. Even when there are a plurality of clocks 2 that have been requested, the timing of wireless transmission should be random so that the transmissions do not overlap. Time signals sent from a plurality of other timepieces are taken into the wireless communication means 24 via the wireless communication antenna 5 and held in the time comparison means 16 in the order of reception. Since the timing of each piece of time information obtained by the time comparison means 16 is usually different, the clock is counted until the time information is compared. Although the reliability increases as the number of comparisons held and compared by the time comparison means 16 increases, it is determined by the number of clocks actually installed, the realizable circuit scale, and the like.

  When the time comparison means 16 compares the time of the reception time holding means 14 with the time information received from another clock and can confirm that the time information is the same time, the time information is sent to the time counting means 18. The time of the time measuring means 18 is corrected. Conditions for correcting the time will be described later with reference to FIG. The time counting means 18 counts the clock, and the time display means 20 displays the time of the time counting means 18.

Secondly, the case where the time cannot be received from the external standard time information source 1 and the time is obtained by obtaining time information from another clock will be described.
In the same manner as when the time information can be obtained from the first external standard time information source 1, highly accurate time information is obtained from the external standard time information source 1 and held in the reception time holding means 14. In this example, the time is not actually transmitted, so the time is not transmitted from the reception time holding means 14 to the time comparison means 16. As in the first case, the time is received from the timepiece 2 that holds another highly accurate time, and the time comparison means 16 compares the time information. Since the reception time holding means 14 does not hold the highly accurate time information from the external standard time information source 1, the time comparison means 16 compares the time information from other clocks 2. If it can be confirmed that the compared time information is the same time, the time information is transmitted to the time counting means 18, and the time of the time counting means 18 is corrected.

  This is an explanation when a request signal for transmitting time information is received from the other timepiece 2 third. When a request signal for time information is obtained from the other timepiece 2 from the wireless communication antenna 5, the wireless communication means 24 obtains highly accurate time information from the reception time holding means 14, and is directed to the timepiece requested from the wireless communication antenna 5. Send time information. However, when there is no time information in the reception time holding means 14, the time information is not transmitted because the time information is not available from the external standard time information source 1.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram on how to adjust the time of the first wireless timepiece system of the present invention. It shows how the clock is corrected by the time information received from the external standard time information source 1 and the time information obtained from another clock 2. In Case 1, since the external standard time information source 1 can receive time information with high accuracy, the internal clock is corrected to 12:00:00. The internal clock is the time measuring means 18 described above with reference to FIG. In Case 2, when the time from the external standard time information source 1 is erroneously acquired for some reason, the internal clock is not corrected because it does not match the time information from the other clocks 2. Case 3 is a case where time information could not be received from the external standard time information source 1 but time information could be obtained from a? C of another clock 2, and all the time information of the other clock 2 was 12:00. Since it matches at 00:00, the internal clock is corrected. In case 4, the time information can be obtained from a? C of the other clocks 2, but all of them do not match, so the internal clock is not corrected.

  An example of the comparison method has been described with reference to FIG. Since the time information from the standard time information source 1 from the outside is the most accurate, the reception control means 10 in FIG. 2 sets the reception method such as receiving again when the reception of the external time information fails. it can. In the comparison of time information, it is most reliable to correct only when all the time information matches, but when reliability can be secured, correction is made when a certain number of time information matches. It may be simplified. In this way, conditions can be set in advance.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the timepiece of the second wireless timepiece system of the present invention. A different part from the 1st Example shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrated. In the reception control means 10, the time setting for receiving time information from the external standard time information source 1 and other clocks can be set in advance, but once set, it cannot be changed. The reception efficiency of the external standard time information source 1 may be increased by changing the reception time for each clock depending on the installation environment. Reception setting means 30 is provided to freely change the setting of the reception time. The reception setting means 30 is provided with setting means such as a setting button on the watch body so that it can be arbitrarily set.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the timepiece of the third wireless timepiece system of the present invention. A different part from the 1st Example shown in FIG. 1 and the 2nd Example of FIG. 4 is demonstrated. The watch 2 is provided with reception status confirmation means 40. The reception status confirmation means 40 uses a light emitting diode (LED) so that the reception status can be identified by the color of the LED.

  In the first example, it is possible to identify whether or not the time acquisition from the external standard time information source has succeeded in one reception, and it is expressed in green if successful, red in case of failure. In the second example, the time information is obtained from the outside or another clock within 2 hours, and if it is corrected, the color is green, and if it is not received within 2 hours, the light is red. Further, when time information cannot be obtained for several hours, another color such as orange is turned on. When the external standard time information source is a long wave standard radio wave, the time information may not be acquired due to a wave stop. In this case, naturally, other clocks cannot obtain information, so the time is recorded at the internal time of each clock. If this wave continues for a long period of time, the time is engraved in the part time, so the accuracy gradually deteriorates. In this way, it can be identified that the accuracy cannot be obtained for a long time.

  The time counting means 18 receives time information from the external standard time information source 1 and other clocks, and transmits the information on when it was corrected and the current time to the reception status confirmation means 40. In the reception status confirmation means 40, it is possible to recognize the light emitting diode by changing the color of the light emitting diode according to information such as when the time information transmitted from the time counting means 18 is obtained or received.

  If the reception status confirmation means 40 confirms that reception has not been performed for a while, a signal is sent from the reception control means 10 to the time radio wave reception means 12 by pressing a button or the like in the reception setting means 30, and the radio wave reception antenna 3. It is also possible to forcibly receive the time information to the external standard time information source 1 via.

  The present invention generally relates to a wireless timepiece system that performs time correction wirelessly. Each clock can provide an accurate time by receiving an external time information source, but if it fails to receive it or receives an incorrect time, it can transmit time information to other clocks. It can be used as a time information transmission system in which each clock can supply an accurate time by meeting.

1 shows an outline of a first wireless information transmission system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the Example of the timepiece of the 1st wireless timepiece system of this invention. It is explanatory drawing about the method of the time correction of the 1st wireless timepiece system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the Example of the timepiece of the 2nd radio | wireless timepiece system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the Example of the timepiece of the 3rd radio | wireless timepiece system of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Clock 3 Radio wave reception antenna 5 Wireless communication antenna 10 Reception control means 12 Time radio wave reception means 16 Time comparison means 18 Timekeeping means 20 Time display means 30 Reception setting means 40 Reception status confirmation means

Claims (3)

Time radio wave receiving means for receiving time information from an external standard time information source via a radio wave receiving antenna;
Wireless communication means for transmitting time information from another clock by receiving a signal for requesting time information wirelessly via a wireless communication antenna and receiving the signal for requesting time information from another clock; ,
A reception control means for setting a time for performing communication for receiving time information to the time radio wave receiving means and the wireless communication means;
Time comparison means for outputting time information according to a result of comparing time information received by the time radio wave reception means and time information received by the wireless communication means;
Time counting means for performing time counting based on the time information determined by the time comparison means;
Time display means for displaying the time of the time counting means;
A plurality of watches equipped with
A wireless clock system, wherein each clock receives time information from an external standard time information source and another clock, corrects the time, and transmits the time information to another clock that can communicate. Time radio wave receiving means for receiving time information from an external standard time information source via a radio wave receiving antenna;
Wireless communication means for transmitting time information from another clock by receiving a signal for requesting time information wirelessly via a wireless communication antenna and receiving the signal for requesting time information from another clock; ,
A reception control means for setting a time for performing communication for receiving time information to the time radio wave receiving means and the wireless communication means;
A reception setting means capable of changing a time for performing communication for reception of time information set by the reception control means to an arbitrary time;
Time comparison means for outputting time information according to a result of comparing time information received by the time radio wave reception means and time information received by the wireless communication means;
Time counting means for measuring time based on the time information determined by the time comparison means;
Time display means for displaying the time of the time counting means;
A plurality of watches equipped with
A wireless clock system, wherein each clock receives time information from an external standard time information source and another clock, corrects the time, and transmits the time information to another clock that can communicate. Time radio wave receiving means for receiving time information from an external standard time information source via a radio wave receiving antenna;
Wireless communication means for transmitting time information from another clock by receiving a signal for requesting time information wirelessly via a wireless communication antenna and receiving the signal for requesting time information from another clock; ,
A reception control means for setting a time for performing communication for receiving time information to the time radio wave receiving means and the wireless communication means;
A reception status confirmation means for displaying the reception status of time information;
A reception setting means capable of changing a time for performing communication for reception of time information set by the reception control means to an arbitrary time;
Time comparison means for outputting time information according to a result of comparing time information received by the time radio wave reception means and time information received by the wireless communication means;
Time counting means for performing time counting based on the time information determined by the time comparison means;
Time display means for displaying the time of the time counting means;
A plurality of watches equipped with
A wireless clock system, wherein each clock receives time information from an external standard time information source and another clock, corrects the time, and transmits the time information to another clock that can communicate.

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