Patents by Inventor Masahiro Sase

Masahiro Sase has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7154816
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece (10) comprises time information generating unit (A) for generating time information, information generating unit for generating information (function information, warning information, etc.) other than the time information, and power-saving operation unit (D) for operating the electronic timepiece in a power-saving operation state entailing lower power consumption than in a normal operation state. The information generating unit or the power-saving operation unit (D) is operated preferentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Igarashi, Kenji Shimoda, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6809705
    Abstract: The power consumption of small electronic device having a display opening/closing shutter is lowered. A display shutout control means (10) is provided to stop the operation of a display drive means (60) according to the control made by the display shutout control means (10) in a display shutout state to save power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6760003
    Abstract: A small-sized electronic apparatus is provided which, in the case of use as a watch, can be manufactured at a low cost but with the same thickness, size, weight, etc., as a conventional watch and which includes various sensing means for switching and for shutter opening/closing. Display shutout control means 10 accepts a switching signal from switching means 9 and a closing signal from a timer control circuit 14, and issues a control signal. The control signal is fed to a liquid crystal shutter 13 which uses a liquid crystal panel arranged above an information display part 80, to perform opening/closing of the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Citizens Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Sase
  • Publication number: 20040100870
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece (10) comprises time information generating unit (A) for generating time information, information generating unit for generating information (function information, warning information, etc.) other than the time information, and power-saving operation unit (D) for operating the electronic timepiece in a power-saving operation state entailing lower power consumption than in a normal operation state. The information generating unit or the power-saving operation unit (D) is operated preferentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Igarashi, Kenji Shimoda, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6661743
    Abstract: A display includes a plurality of display arrays, such as a time display section (37), a chronological display section (38), and a chronological split display section (39). An upper or lower polarizer is provided with a light modulating section having a reflection type polarizer. To display only the time, the chronological display section (38) and the chronological split display section (39) are shielded by the light modulating section. For chronological display, the chronological display section (38) is lit, and the chronological split display (39) is displayed or shielded as required by a shutter function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Mafune, Masahiro Sase, Kenji Fujita
  • Patent number: 6593901
    Abstract: An electronic device provided with a multilayer display panel (60), in which during information display by any display panel layer (1 or 2) of the multilayer display panel (60), display driving means (40) maintains all the display segments of the other display panel layer (1 or 2) to be off, allowing simple display control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Kitazawa, Tomio Okigami, Hiroshi Fujioka, Takashi Osa, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6459657
    Abstract: A time information repeating installation in a radio clock system, which receives advance notice information, distinguishes advance notice content by detecting means 9, sets a transmission start time by addition setting means 10 in accordance with the content, sets an additional period by change period setting means 11, and stores the content into transmission start time storage means 12. When the stored time agrees with the time of a main counter 8, transmission starts. Therefore, even when a sudden time change occurs, the repeating installation can perform transmission at the reception timing of a subsidiary device. The subsidiary device can effectively update time data for summer or daylight savings time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignees: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., Rhythm Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinari Takada, Kenji Fujita, Masahiro Sase, Shinya Yoshida, Masahiro Tanoguchi, Kenichi Nemoto
  • Patent number: 6298014
    Abstract: A time information management system with a simple configuration that instantaneously causes the individual time information of a plurality of timekeeping means within a prescribed area to coincide with standard time information, is formed by time information signal generating means that generates time information that includes standard time information, a time information adjusting means that includes within it a first timekeeping means, receives a time information signal, and outputs time information of the timekeeping means, and second timekeeping means 5-1, 5-2, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kihara, Toshio Umemoto, Tomomi Murakami, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6288977
    Abstract: A time signal repeater, capable of selectively relaying standard time radio signals having different modulation frequencies and correcting the time based on the plurality of standard time radio signals without changing a radio correction clock side, including an antenna portion capable of receiving a standard time radio signal by a set resonance frequency, an oscillating circuit outputting a signal having a frequency of the received standard time radio signal in synchronization with the standard time radio signal received by the antenna portion, at least one frequency conversion circuit converting the frequency of the output signal of the oscillating circuit, a receiving circuit receiving as input the standard time radio signal received by the antenna portion and correcting a time of an internal clock according to a time code included in the received radio signal, a transmission circuit generating a time radio signal including a time code based on the internal clock based on the output signal of the oscillati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignees: Rhythm Watch Co. Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Yoshida, Masahiro Tanoguchi, Kenichi Nemoto, Akinari Takada, Kenji Fujita, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6219302
    Abstract: A time signal repeater enabling a radio correction clock to receive a relayed radio signal without regard as to the position of arrangement and without complicated trouble, including a reception circuit for receiving a standard time radio signal and correcting an internal clock to a time according to the time code included in the received radio signal and a transmission circuit for generating and transmitting time radio signals which have different intensities and include time codes based on the internal clock at a plurality of predetermined times, and a time correction system using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignees: Rhythm Watch Co, Ltd, Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Tanoguchi, Kenichi Nemoto, Shinya Yoshida, Shunichi Makuta, Akinari Takada, Kenji Fujita, Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6144621
    Abstract: A charging type electronic timepiece of the present invention is configured such that a return to a correct time display is achieved after the recovery of the voltage on the basis of time information held by a circuit in case the power-supply voltage has dropped to such an extent as to prohibit a motor drive without causing any interruption of oscillation (a stop of issue of reference signals) and such that in case the extent of the voltage drop is such as to cause an interruption of oscillation, a stop alarm display is given first after the voltage recovery through a storage of the fact of the interruption of the circuit since correct time information is no longer expected to be held by the circuit. This allows the charging type electronic timepiece to minimize the inconvenience that the user must perform a time adjustment and to securely inform the user of a true necessity of time adjustment through a display of its information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 6060862
    Abstract: A electrical-generating type of electronic apparatus, such as a rechargeable electronic watch capable of allowing the user to easily verify the detection of the charge capacity of the battery is provided, this being a rechargeable electronic apparatus 100 having an electrical generation means 3, an electrical storage means 7, a reverse-flow prevention means 5 that prevents reverse flow of charging current to the electrical storage means 7, and a time display means 6 which has the electrical storage means 7, which is charged by the electrical generation means 3, as a power source, this apparatus further being provided with a charging condition detection means 30, which detect the charging condition of the electrical storage means 7, a charging cutoff means 9 which is provided in a charging path between the electrical generation means 3 and the electrical storage means 7, and a charging condition notification means 6 that makes notification of the charging condition of the electrical storage means 7, based on a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sase, Kiyotaka Igarashi, Kenji Fujita
  • Patent number: 5335211
    Abstract: A device for displaying information by a hand which is driven by a stepping motor in both forward and backward directions and which moves within a limited range, in which the stepping motor receives a driving signal enough to move and scan the hand in one direction in the whole range of the limited region for facilitating the attachment of the hand, and depending on the object to be measured, overtravel inhibiting circuit means are added to prevent any misdisplay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Muto, Masahiro Sase, Kato Yoshiaki
  • Patent number: 5237544
    Abstract: A world watch has an hour hand and a minute hand for usual time indication, a plurality of symbols disposed on a dial to represent areas having respective time differences, an area including hand for specifying one of the areas by indicating one of the symbols, a local time indicating hand for indicating the local time of the specified area at least in hours, and a date indicating hand for indicating a date of the specified area. The world watch comprises counters for counting the numbers of driving signals used for driving the area indicating hand and local time indicating hand, respectively; and a drive controlling circuit for generating, when the count of at least one of the counters reaches a predetermined value, a driving signal for driving the date indicating hand in a normal or reverse turning direction based on a judgment whether the predetermined value has been described by an increase in the count or by a decrease in the count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sase, Kiyotaka Igarashi, Takashi Osa, Noritoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5119349
    Abstract: A device for displaying information by means of a hand which is driven by a stepping motor rotatable in both forward and backward directions and which moves within a limited range, in which the stepping motor receives a driving signal enough to move and scan the hand in one direction in the whole range of the limited region for facilitating the attachment of the hand, and depending on the object to be measured, overtravel inhibiting circuit means are added to prevent any misdisplay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Muto, Masahiro Sase, Kato Yoshiaki
  • Patent number: 4972393
    Abstract: A calendar display apparatus includes a reference signal generator, a calendar data generator, and rotational display members. The reference signal generator generates a reference signal every period of 24 hours. The calendar data generator generates year, month, date, and day data upon reception of the reference signal. The rotational display members are driven by signals from the calendar data generator so as to display a year, a month, a date, and a day. A scale corresponding to the rotational display member for displaying years is constituted by multiple circular scales. Scale marks representing years are sequentially and continuously formed on the multiple circular scales from its inner circumference to outer circumferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sase, Takeo Muto, Teruho Keida
  • Patent number: 4785436
    Abstract: In an electronic timepiece powered by a photovoltaic cell, the supply voltage fluctuates a great deal due to the varying amounts of light received by the photovoltaic cell. This presents special considerations for a low voltage alarm circuit. The present invention combines two alarms. First, there is a charging alarm which responds to voltage and which indicates that voltage is low and that the amount of light should be increased. If the light is increased, the circuit will continue to operate and no reset operation is needed. If on the other hand the voltage drops to the point where the circuit actually stops, a stop alarm is activated. The stop alarm is not responsive to voltage level. Instead, it is responsive to the fact that the circuit's oscillator has stopped. Furthermore, the stop alarm is provided with a memory and it will not automatically be reset if the voltage is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Sase
  • Patent number: 4505594
    Abstract: A multi-function analogue type watch using upcounters only for performing a variety of functions. In operation the counts of these upcounters are so adjusted that the differences therebetween represent the exact time relation between corrected or reset time and present time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1985
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Kawahara, Hiroyuki Kihara, Masahiro Sase