Abstract: An electronic timepiece including a primary battery as a power source, and a solar battery for charging the primary battery is provided. The electronic timepiece includes a solar battery for producing a charging current in response to solar light being incident thereon, a primary battery adapted to be charged by the charging current and a detecting circuit disposed intermediate the solar battery and the primary battery to detect the state of charge of the primary battery and in response thereto selectively decouple the solar battery from the primary battery. The solar battery can be formed of a plurality of equal area solar cells forming a dial having a non-circular configuration.

Abstract: A linear motor for a printer has stator teeth which are protected from dust and debris generated when the printing mechanism strikes the recording paper by a downward extension of the stator teeth, by a horizontal extension of the stator teeth, or by a horizontal extension of stator teeth which face away from the printing platen. The translating member of the motor to which the printing mechanism is attached has pole teeth spaced from the stator by mechanical rollers. The motor force acts close to the center of gravity of the moving members to reduce mechanical vibrations.

Abstract: An ester compound having the formula ##STR1## where R represents a normal alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms. A method of synthesizing the compounds is presented. The compounds have relatively low melting points, and are particularly useful in combination with other liquid crystal compounds.

Abstract: An improved magnetic material for a permanent magnet including at least 90 volume percent of a single phase of a samarium-transition metal alloy in a 2-17 molar ratio is provided. The alloy may be represented by the formula Sm.sub.2 (Co Cu Fe M).sub.17 wherein M is at least one element selected from the group of manganese, silcon, titanium, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, chromium, vanadium, molybdenum and aluminum.

Abstract: Electronic circuits provide an indication on the face of an electronic wristwatch that battery voltage has diminished to a prescribed level and provide the same indication regardless of battery voltage by actuation of an external member. Multiple functions are activated by the same external member or members. The desired mode of operation is detected by the circuits dependent upon the position, sequence of operation and time duration in a selected position of an external member. In addition to a battery voltage operating mode, an alternative embodiment permits adjustment of minutes and hours without loss in second-hand accuracy. A counter memorizes elapsed time required for hand setting, and the second hand rapidly moves to its correct position after the hour and minute hands are set. The added function circuits are small, consume negligible power and have no adverse effect on battery life or design complexity.

Abstract: A quartz crystal oscillator package comprising a quartz crystal vibrator leaf enclosed in an evacuated housing. The vibrator leaf frame is sandwiched and sealed between a pair of housing elements formed by etching at one time the periphery of each housing element and at another time etching a concave portion in each housing element. Opposed concave portions provide the internal volume wherein the vibrator leaf is sealed under vacuum. Using heat and vacuum, a metal film deposited on the sealing surfaces of the housing elements fuses with a binder material to form a eutectic alloy seal. A flat package having small size, high structural strength, an excellent hermetic seal, and high internal vacuum is produced by this method.

Abstract: Ester compounds suitable for use in liquid crystal compositions are provided. The ester compounds are (2'-cyano-4'-alkylphenyl)-3-cyano-4-n-alkoxybenzoates represented by the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R and R' each is a straight-chain alkyl group having one to eight carbon atoms. The ester compounds alone do not exhibit a liquid crystal phase, but have a relatively low melting point. Addition of at least one such ester compound to a liquid crystal composition lowers the value of the dielectric anisotropy of the composition at frequencies higher than the critical frequency, and lowers it at frequencies lower than the critical frequency. Such compositions are particularly well suited for the two-frequency matrix-addressing drive in a display of complex characters or graphic displays.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having a single digital display and being suitable to operate as a standard timekeeping wristwatch or in the alternative as a chronograph. Separate divider circuits are provided for performing the timekeeping and chronograph functions. A single set of switches is provided for controlling the operation of either divider circuit, a single selector circuit selecting which function is to be displayed and which divider is to be controlled by the switches. Indication means are provided for indicating which function is being displayed.

Abstract: In a character-selecting mechanism for a printer, an electromagnet which controls the engagement and disengagement of a pawl with a ratchet and, thereby, the actual printing step, is supplemented with a permanent magnet having spaced-apart poles. A core arm lies within a core passage in the electromagnet and protrudes into the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet. Activation of the electromagnet by a current pulse magnetizes the core arm to a polarity such that it is repelled by a pole next to which the core arm is disposed in a first position so that the core arm moves toward the other pole to take up a second position. During the transit from first to second position the core arm which is connected through a core member to a pawl brings the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.

Abstract: An electronic analog calendar timepiece includes a mechanism for automatically correcting the date indication at the ends of months having less than 31 days. A second motor activates the month correction-mechanism in short months to advance the date dial by additional indicated days. Such irregular advancements occur in accordance with the condition of switches associated with the 29th, 30th, and 31st day positions of the date dial, and in accordance with data stored in memory to correlate with the displayed month of the year. A conventional driving mechanism associates with conventional time keeping circuitry to advance the hands and the day, date, and month indicators for all days occurring in the month. The month-end correcting mechanism is linked to the conventional driving mechanism by actuation of the second motor.

Abstract: In a display device in which characters are made visible by imposition of an electromagnetic field across selected portions of said device and in which the characters are arranged in a plurality of rows or columns, the space required within the display area of said device for leads connecting the segments of each character to an external source of voltage is substantially reduced. Reduction of the area allocated to connections makes it possible to increase the fraction of the total area available for actual display of characters and thus to increase the size and readability of the characters. The arrangement taught herein is suitable for any number of rows or columns of characters so long as said number is at least two.

Abstract: A new ester compound suitable for use in a liquid crystal composition is provided. The compound is a (2'-cyano-4'-alkyl)phenyl-3-chloro-4 alkoxybenzoate represented by the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R and R' are selected from straight-chain alkyl groups having from one to eight carbon atoms. The ester is not a liquid crystal compound, but upon addition to a liquid crystal composition increases the absolute value of the dielectric anisotropy in the high frequency range. Such compositions are particularly well suited for the two frequency matrix-addressing drive in a liquid crystal display for complex character and graphic displays. The esters are prepared by condensing an acid chloride having the general formula ##STR2## and a phenol having the general formula ##STR3## wherein R and R' are as defined above.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece including circuitry for automatically indexing the time counted thereby to represent the time at a different time zone, and a digital display that displays the particular time zone to which the time displayed by the timepiece has been indexed to, is provided. The indexing of the time displayed by the timepiece, is obtained by indexing circuitry disposed intermediate the hours counter of an electronic timepiece and the display driving circuitry. The indexing circuitry is adapted to selectively index the count of the time-keeping signals produced by the hours counter and thereby index the count of the timekeeping signal produced by the hours counter to a different time zone in response to each indexing thereof. In addition to display digits for numerically displaying time, further visual display segments are provided for indicating the particular time zone to which the numerical display has been indexed to.

Abstract: An electronic watch which normally displays home time and calendar data, on demand displays additional data and correct time and calendar data for every global time zone in response to actuation of external members. An alarm function is set by actuation of external members in either the home or global mode. When the alarm is set in the home mode, the alarm sounds at the same display-indicated time regardless of the time zone of operation. When the alarm is set in the global mode, the alarm sounds at the selected hour in a particular time zone regardless of the time in the actual zone of operation. The display returns to the home time display mode if the external members are continuously actuated for a time in excess of a predetermined period. Data derived from a signal generator and divider network is inputted to counters accumulating timekeeping and calendar data. An alarm-setting counter holds alarm data selected by the user.

Abstract: The setting mechanism of a watch includes a winding stem and a clutch wheel which can be moved selectively either rotationally or axially by said winding stem for control of one or more setting levers or wheels. The setting levers or wheels are disposed on the opposite side of said winding stem from the dial plate of the watch, thereby making it possible to center the winding stem in the thickness direction of the watch and to reduce the over-all thickness of the watch.

Abstract: An electronic tone or note generator capable of providing improved musical and tone quality and special sound effects by mixing the outputs of a plurality of note-signal-producing circuits is provided. The electronic tone or note generator of the invention is characterized by the use of a primary electronic note circuit for producing a primary note signal which is a portion of a primary melody, and a secondary electronic note circuit for producing a secondary note signal that is musically related to the primary melody. The relationship between signals can be a time lag between the outputs of the two note signal circuits or a small difference in frequency between the signal outputs of the two note circuits. Additionally, each note signal circuit can output alternate notes of a continuing melody such that a note from one circuit may persist while the next note from the second circuit is played.

Abstract: A semiconductor temperature compensation circuit for an electronic timepiece is provided. The temperature compensation circuit is characterized by a temperature detection circuit comprised of MOS transistors, at least two of which have distinct conductive coefficients for producing signals representative of variations in ambient temperature and a temperature signal converting means including MOS transistors for converting the temperature dependent signal into a temperature compensation value for effecting timing rate adjustment in an electronic timepiece. The temperature detection circuit and the temperature signal converter circuit are both formed of elements that can be monolithically integrated into the same substrate.

Abstract: In a printing device including rotatable character wheels having type characters on the surface thereof and a selection mechanism for selectively bringing a character to a printing position, a drive means is provided for moving the selection mechanism. Coupling between the drive means and the selection mechanism is effected by an electro-magnet, size and power requirements for the electro-magnet being reduced by the fact that the electro-magnet functions only as a coupling means and not as the drive means itself.

Abstract: An electronic wristwatch with time and full calendar displays is programmed to uniquely display specially selected dates in the year using three manually operated input terminals. A terminal operation enables the memory to receive or erase special date data which is visible on the watch face at the time of selection. Month to month progression in the calendar display mode and day to day progression on the display in the write-in or erase mode is rapidly accomplished using two terminals.

Abstract: A manually operated control mechanism for permitting a high frequency detection signal to be selectively produced is provided. A selection circuit is coupled to a divider circuit for receiving therefrom a low frequency timekeeping signal and a higher frequency detection signal. The selection circuit is normally disposed in a first mode and transmits the low frequency timekeeping signal applied thereto and is adapted to be disposed into a second mode to thereby transmit the higher frequency detection signal applied thereto. A manually operative member is adapted to be coordinately displaced between a first non-engaging position and a second position wherein the manually operative member engages said selection circuit to thereby dispose same in a second mode in order to effect the transmission thereby of the higher frequency detection signal.