Abstract: In the transition from a state in which charge is being transferred from a large-capacitance secondary power supply to an auxiliary capacitor through a step-up/down circuit by a step-up/down multiplying factor M′ (M′ is a positive real number excluding one) to a state in which the large-capacitance secondary power supply and the auxiliary capacitor are electrically directly coupled, the electrical energy is transferred from the large-capacitance secondary power supply to the auxiliary capacitor through the step-up/down circuit by a step-up/down multiplying factor M=1 in a non-stepping-up/down state. A potential difference between the large-capacitance secondary power supply and the auxiliary capacitor is less than a predetermined potential difference. Since a sudden variation in a power supply voltage due to changing the step-up/down multiplying factor is prevented, malfunctioning in an electronic apparatus resulting from the sudden variation in the power supply voltage is prevented.

Abstract: To reduce electric power consumed during the operation of adjusting the indication of time and reduce the time required for the time adjusting operation. Using a second hand driving motor and a hour/minute hand driving motor both capable of rotating in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the indication of time is adjusted by driving the second hand driving motor and the hour/minute hand driving motor at times different from each other. The hand driving method (hand driving direction) is determined on the basis of the time elapsed during the power saving mode measured by a time information adjusting part such that the hands are driven in a direction which results in a reduction in the power consumption or the adjusting time.

Abstract: A reliable power supply control function in a portable electronic device which includes a limiter circuit, or includes the limiter circuit and a voltage step-up circuit, to reduce power consumption. It is detected whether or not a voltage generated by a power generator 40 or a voltage accumulated in a power supply device 48, 80 exceeds a preset limiter-ON voltage. When the voltage generated by the power generator 40 or the voltage accumulated in the power supply device 48, 80 has become not lower than the preset limiter-ON voltage, a voltage of electrical energy supplied to the power supply device is limited to a predetermined reference voltage set in advance. When it is determined based on a detection result of a status-of-power-generation detecting section 91 that power is not generated by the power generator 40, detecting operation of a limiter-ON-voltage detecting circuit 91A is prohibited. Power consumption required for operating the limiter-ON-voltage detecting circuit can be thus reduced.

Abstract: In an electronic unit having a plurality of motors, a reduction in power-supply voltage is suppressed even if the plurality of motors are driven, and a difference in hand moving timing is allowed to be made inconspicuous. An electronic timepiece having a seconds motor for driving a seconds hand and an hour-and-minute motor for driving hour and minute hands, which serves as an electronic unit, moves the seconds hand and the hour and minute hands such that, when a seconds auxiliary pulse signal is output to the seconds motor at the hand moving timing of the seconds hand, control is applied in a way in which neither magnetic-field detection around the hour-and-minute motor nor the rotation detection of the hour-and-minute motor is performed at the hand moving timing of the hour and minute hands, and an hour-and-minute auxiliary pulse signal is output to the hour-and-minute motor.

Abstract: Portable electronic equipment includes a carried-by-user detector for detecting whether the electronic equipment is in a state carried by a user or not. When the electronic equipment is in a state not carried by the user, i.e., when the user is not employing the electronic equipment, an operating mode is shifted from a normal operating mode to a power saving mode to reduce power consumption of the electronic equipment. Useless consumption of power during non-use of the electronic equipment can be thus reduced. Further, in electronic equipment (timepiece) incorporating a power generator for generating power by converting first energy (motion, pressure or heat) into electric energy as second energy, whether the power generator is generating power, i.e.

Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus and a control method for an electronic apparatus that detects the power-generating state of a power generating unit in a power-saving mode and to positively switch to a normal operation mode. The power-generation voltage of a power generating unit is detected in a power-generation-voltage detection process (steps S2 and S12), and the operation mode of a unit to be driven is switched between a normal operation mode and a power-saving mode according to the power-generating state of the power generating unit or according to the manipulation state of manipulation means in an operation-mode control process (steps S3 to S7, and S10 to S15). In a limiter control process (step S8), the operation of a limiter is disabled when the operation mode of the unit to be driven is the power-saving mode.

Abstract: In an electronic device having a stepping motor which can be driven more quickly than in a normal driving operation without causing a significant increase in power consumption, a detecting coil control circuit is provided which controls a connection circuit serving to open and close a detecting coil that is wound coaxially with a driving coil, in such a manner that the detecting coil is opened during the period in which a quick driving pulse is supplied to the driving coil. After supplying the quick driving pulse, a driving controller controls a driving circuit so as to open the driving coil, while the driving controller closes the detecting coil so that a voltage induced in the detecting coil by an electromotive force is detected by a position detecting circuit thereby determining the position of a rotor. The chance that the driving coil and the detecting coil act as electromagnetic brakes is minimized thereby ensuring that the quick driving operation is performed with low power consumption.

Abstract: A displacement detector detects a relative position between a wire rope and a pulley of a transfer apparatus. The detector includes a magnet disposed to face the wire rope, two magnetoelectric conversion units disposed relative to a pitch of lays of the wire rope to produce two output voltages having ripple components caused by the pitch of lays and being opposite to each other in terms of phase, and a circuit unit connected to the magnetoelectric conversion units for detecting displacement degrees of the wire rope from the pulley according to the output voltages and adding the output voltages so that said ripple components of opposite phases offset each other thereby removing effects of said pitch of lays.

Abstract: A displacement sensor provided with a magnet (4) and magnetoelectric conversion element for sensing the variation of magnetism caused by the magnet to sense the displacement of the magnetic material to be measured, which includes a first magnetoelectric conversion element (5) located in the place where the magnetic flux density is varied by the displacement of the material to be measured (7), a second magnetoelectric conversion element (6) of the same kind as the first magnetoelectric conversion element (5) located in the place where the magnetic flux density is not varied by the displacement of the material to be measured, and a circuit element (10) for adding the outputs of the first and second magnetoelectric conversion element at a predetermined ratio of V20/V10, wherein V20 and V10 are outputs from the first and second magnetoelectric conversion elements, respectively, for a displacement of 0 at a temperature of 20.degree. C.