Abstract: Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece whose chronograph hands are electrically drive-controlled and mechanically zero-restoring-controlled, wherein it possible to perform a normal operation at the time of start operation and reset operation. After a mechanical control unit releases the setting of chronograph hands in response to the start operation of a start/stop button, a contact portion is placed in a start state, and an electrical control unit starts a time measurement operation to electrically hand-movement-drive the chronograph hands, and, after a contact portion is placed in a reset state in response to a reset operation of a reset button and the electrical control unit electrically resets the time measurement operation, the mechanical control unit mechanically zero-restores and sets the chronograph hands.

Abstract: A stepping motor control circuit includes a rotation detection portion that detects a rotation condition of a stepping motor, and a control portion that drives and controls the stepping motor by a correction drive pulse P2 having larger drive energy than one of any one of a plurality of main drive pulses P1 each having different drive energy and the respective main drive pulses P1 depending on a detection result of the rotation detection portion. The control portion drives the stepping motor by switching to a fixed drive pulse having drive energy not smaller than drive energy of a main drive pulse P1nmax having maximum drive energy in a case where there is no drive allowance when the stepping motor is driven by the main drive pulse P1nmax having the maximum drive energy. The stepping motor is thus rotary driven normally even in a DC magnetic field.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent the chronograph drive timing and the magnetic field detection timing from overlapping each other to unnecessarily effect driving with correction drive pulses. A processing unit controls drive circuits so as to drive a time indication motor and a chronograph indication motor with a predetermined timing based respectively on timekeeping information obtained and chronograph measurement information obtained, and effects control such that a magnetic field detecting unit detects a magnetic field with a predetermined timing; when the drive timing for the chronograph indication motor and the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit overlap each other, the processing unit changes the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit so that the drive timing for the chronograph indication motor and the magnetic field detection timing for the magnetic field detecting unit may not overlap each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent the battery reliability service life time from being exceeded even when the period of time that the chronograph function is used is short, making it possible to prevent failure generation in the chronograph timepiece due to liquid leakage. A 24-hour counter down-counts a period of time that has elapsed starting from 24 hours, and a chronograph counter down-counts the period of time that chronograph measurement operation is performed from a predetermined time; when the count values of the 24-hour counter and the chronograph counter become equal to each other, a processing unit consumes a battery for the residual period of time of the two counters by a battery power consuming unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chronograph timepiece in which it is possible to prevent a non-rotation state at the time of first driving when chronograph measuring operation is reset during motor drive and restarting is effected. When a resetting operation is performed on a reset button during the driving of a motor and a rotation detection circuit detects non-rotation, a drive control unit controls a drive pulse generation circuit such that the control is completed without reversing the polarity of a motor drive pulse output from the drive pulse generation circuit, and that the motor is driven by a drive pulse of the same polarity as that at the time of the previous resetting in response to a starting operation performed on a start/stop button, driving the motor by the drive pulse of the same polarity at the time of restarting after the resetting.

Abstract: A chronograph timepiece makes it possible to make sure that it normally operates at the time of an initial starting operation such as system resetting without having to perform a difficult operation or the like. When a system reset signal is input to a system reset terminal and it is detected that initial starting has been effected, a processing unit enables a time hand and a chronograph hand to move after permitting the time hand to perform a predetermined demonstration hand movement when both a start/stop switch and a reset switch have not been simultaneously operated; when these switches have been simultaneously operated, the processing unit enables the time hand and the chronograph hand to move without permitting demonstration hand movement.

Abstract: When it is judged that a chronograph second counter and a chronograph minute counter have measured a maximum measurement time, a maximum measurement control unit controls a drive pulse generation circuit so as to drive and stop a motor such that chronograph hand stops at predetermined positions. When, in this state, a restarting operation is performed on a start/stop button, a normal chronograph measurement operation is restarted. At this time, a mechanical structure has been restored to a reset state, so that even at the time of restarting after the measurement of the maximum measurement time, the load at the starting operation is the same as that of the normal operation, thus generating no sense of incongruity.

Abstract: In response to an instruction to start time measurement given by a start/stop button, an in-phase drive control unit outputs an in-phase control signal of a predetermined time width to a drive pulse generation circuit such that a stepping motor is driven, instead of by a first drive pulse, by an initial drive pulse of a longer drive time than the drive pulse. The drive pulse generation circuit rotates the stepping motor by a motor drive signal including a plurality of in-phase main drive pulses. The stepping motor is rotated by one of the main drive pulses included by the motor drive signal to rotate the chronograph hands.

Abstract: In a chronograph timepiece in which the chronograph hands are electrically rotated by a motor drive pulse and are mechanically zero-restoring-controlled, a basic drive control unit controls a motor so as to drive the chronograph hands when it is detected by a contact portion and a setting releasing detection portion that the setting of the chronograph hands by a setting mechanism has been released.

Abstract: In response to a system reset signal inputted into a system reset port, a control circuit sets a general-purpose port to a high level first. Then, when a mode A is set in an integrated circuit for electronic timepiece, the control circuit sets the general-purpose output port to a low level after an elapse of a first time and when a mode B is set, it sets the general-purpose output port to a low level after an elapse of a second time. In this manner, a mode information signal having a pulse width corresponding to the mode is outputted from the general-purpose output port. It thus becomes possible to reduce the size without adding a special configuration for mode confirmation and to perform a confirmation in a short time.

Abstract: To provide a pedometer capable of measuring a number of steps in walking and in running by using one sensor and by a small circuit scale. A sensor is mounted on the arm such that a sensitivity axis on the sensor is disposed in a length direction of the arm and a number of steps is measured in walking and in running. When a measuring mode is a walking mode, a detecting signal from the sensor is counted as one step, when the measuring mode is a running mode, the detecting signal from the sensor is counted as two steps to thereby accurately measure a number of steps in accordance with the measuring mode.

Abstract: To enable to select a walking sensor suitable for detecting walking by short time by a simple constitution in a pedometer using a plurality of walking sensors sensitivity axes of which differ from each other, CPU 108 calculates a step number based on a walking signal from a walking sensor 101a when it is determined that a signal from the first walking detecting circuit 100a including the walking sensor 101a having a priority order at a first order is a walking signal. In a case in which it is determined that the signal is not the walking signal, when a signal from a second walking detecting circuit 100b including a walking sensor 101b a sensitivity axis of which differ from that of the walking sensor 101a, the step number is calculated based on the walking signal of the walking sensor 101b and a priority order of the walking signal 101b is changed to the first order.

Abstract: To be able to measure a step number without carrying out an operation processing for selecting a walking sensor in a pedometer using a plurality of walking sensors having sensitivity axes different from each other. OR means converts walking signals inputted in parallel from walking detecting circuits into a synthesized walking signal. CPU calculates the step number by detecting the walking signal inputted to an input port. At this occasion, in detecting the walking signal, CPU alternately carries out a detecting operation of detecting the walking signal and a mask operation which does not detect walking at mask time immediately thereafter at each time of detecting each walking signal.

Abstract: To provide a pedometer capable of measuring a number of steps in walking and in running by using one sensor and by a small circuit scale. A sensor is mounted on the arm such that a sensitivity axis on the sensor is disposed in a length direction of the arm and a number of steps is measured in walking and in running. When a measuring mode is a walking mode, a detecting signal from the sensor is counted as one step, when the measuring mode is a running mode, the detecting signal from the sensor is counted as two steps to thereby accurately measure a number of steps in accordance with the measuring mode.

Abstract: To provide an electronic timepiece having a simple constitution, being excellent in durability in an electronic timepiece and made to change date display of date display means in accordance with rotation of a time hand. A 24 o'clock detecting switch detects 24 o' clock. A crown rotation switch is made ON when a crown for rotating a time hand is rotated regularly by a predetermined angle and a crown rotation switch is made ON when the crown is rotated reversely by the predetermined angle. A control circuit determines whether a rotational direction of the crown is regular rotation or reverse rotation based on the numbers of operating the crown rotation switches ON, when the 24 o'clock detecting switch detects 24 o'clock, the control circuit 106 regularly rotates or reversely rotates date display of the date display means in the direction in accordance with a result of determination of the direction of rotating the crown to change date to tomorrow or yesterday.

Abstract: To make it possible by a simple constitution to display a reception sensitivity. An antenna receives a standard wave, and a reception circuit extracts a time code contained in the standard wave, thereby outputting it to a control circuit. The control circuits detects, in a common region where a signal level of each bit constituting the time code ought to become the same, the signal level of the bit, and judges a goodness/badness of the reception sensitivity on the basis of the number of the bit in which the signal level has become a predetermined level within a predetermined time, thereby notifying by displaying it to a display section.

Abstract: To provide an electronic timepiece having a simple constitution, being excellent in durability in an electronic timepiece and made to change date display of date display means in accordance with rotation of a time hand. A 24 o'clock detecting switch detects 24 o'clock. A crown rotation switch is made ON when a crown for rotating a time hand is rotated regularly by a predetermined angle and a crown rotation switch is made ON when the crown is rotated reversely by the predetermined angle. A control circuit determines whether a rotational direction of the crown is regular rotation or reverse rotation based on the numbers of operating the crown rotation switches ON, when the 24 o'clock detecting switch detects 24 o'clock, the control circuit 106 regularly rotates or reversely rotates date display of the date display means in the direction in accordance with a result of determination of the direction of rotating the crown to change date to tomorrow or yesterday.