Electronic timepiece

Abstract

An electronic timepiece having an A.M. and P.M. display function. The characters A or P are displayed during time setting or correction by one discretionary display element of a plurality of display elements normally used for displaying time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic timepiece, comprising: an oscillator circuit for generating a repetitive time standard signal; a divider circuit receptive of the repetitive time standard signal for dividing the same and for developing a repetitive output signal having a repetition rate defining a unit of time; a time counter circuit connected to receive the dividing circuit output signal for counting the same and for developing a count representative of time; an AM/PM counter circuit connected to said time counter circuit and responsive to the count developed therein for developing a count indicative of whether the time is AM or PM; display means having a plurality of digit display positions for displaying time; decoder means connected to said time counter circuit for developing decoded output signal groups each for enabling a respective digit display position of said display means to enable said display means to display the time represented by the count developed by said time counter circuit; AM/PM decoder means receptive of one decoded output signal group from said decoder means and receptive of a control signal and connected to receive the count developed by said AM/PM counter circuit for developing the applied decoded output signal group as an output signal and .Iadd.responsive to the control signal .Iaddend.for developing an output signal effective to display a character representative of AM and for developing an output signal effective to display a character representative of PM according to whether or not the control signal is applied to said AM/PM decoder means and according to whether or not the count developed by said AM/PM counter .Iadd.circuit .Iaddend.represents AM or PM; .Iadd.a driving circuit receptive of the decoder means output signal groups for driving said display means to display time and receptive of the output signals developed by said AM/PM decoder means for driving said display means to display characters representative of AM and PM; .Iaddend.and means for .Iadd.selectively .Iaddend.developing said control signal.  .[.2. An electronic timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising: a driving circuit receptive of said decoder means output signal groups and the output signals developed by said AM/PM decoder means 
     
     
        for driving said display means..]. 3. An electronic timepiece according to claim 1.[.:.]..Iadd., .Iaddend.wherein the digit display positions of said 
     
     
        display means are seven segment arrays. 4. An electronic timepiece according to claim 3.[.:.]..Iadd., .Iaddend.wherein said AM/PM decoder means is effective to display the character A to indicate AM and the 
     
     
        character P to indicate PM. 5. An electronic timepiece according to claim 4, wherein said AM/PM decoder means is comprised of: five two-input OR gates each having a first input connected to receive one of the output signals of the applied decoded output signal group corresponding to segments of the digit display position which will be illuminated if either A or P is displayed, and each having a second input connected to receive the control signal for enabling the corresponding segments in response thereto; a two-input AND gate circuit having a first inverting input connected to receive the control signal and a second non-inverting input connected to receive the one of the output signals of the applied decoded output signal group corresponding to the one of the segments of the digit display position which will not be illuminated when either A or P is displayed; a pair of two-input AND gate circuits including a first of the pair having one input connected to receive the control signal and another input connected to receive .[.the one of the output signals of the applied decoded output signal group corresponding to the segment of the digit display position which will be illuminated when A is displayed but which will not be illuminated when P is displayed,.]. .Iadd.a signal from said AM/PM counter circuit representative of AM and PM, .Iaddend.and the second of the pair having a first inverting input connected to receive the control signal and a second non-inverting input connected to receive .[.a signal from said AM/PM counter representative of AM and PM;.]. .Iadd.the one of the output signals of the applied decoded output signal group corresponding to the segment of the digit display position which will be illuminated when A is displayed but which will not be illuminated when P is displayed; .Iaddend.and another two-input OR gate circuit having two inputs each connected to an output of a respective one of said pair of AND 
     
     
        gate circuits. 6. An electronic timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch operable during time setting for applying the control signal to said AM/PM decoder means. .Iadd. 7. An electronic timepiece, comprising: an oscillator circuit for generating a repetitive time standard signal; a divider circuit receptive of the repetitive time standard signal for dividing the same and for developing a repetitive output signal having a repetition rate defining a unit time; a time counter circuit connected to receive the dividing circuit output signal for counting the same and for developing a count representative of time; means connected to said time counter circuit and responsive to the count developed therein for developing an AM/PM signal representative of whether the time is AM or PM; display means having a plurality of digit display positions for displaying time; decoder means connected to said time counter circuit for developing decoded output signal groups each corresponding to a respective digit display position of said display means in order to enable said display means to display the time represented by the count developed by said time counter circuit; AM/PM decoder means receptive of one decoded output signal group from said decoder means and receptive of a control signal and connected to receive the AM/PM signal for developing the applied decoded output signal group as an output signal and for developing an output signal effective to display at a predetermined one of said digit display positions a character representative of AM and for developing an output signal effective to display at said predetermined one of said digit display positions a character representative of PM according to whether or not the control signal is applied to said AM/PM decoder means and according to whether or not the AM/PM signal represents AM or PM; a driving circuit receptive of the decoder means output signal groups for driving said display means to display time and receptive of the output signals developed by said AM/PM decoder means for driving said display means to display characters representative of AM and PM; and means for selectively developing said control signal. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 8. An electronic timepiece according to claim 6, wherein at least said predetermined one of said digit display positions comprises a seven segment array; and said AM/PM decoder means comprises seven input terminals receptive of one decoded output signal group, an input terminal receptive of the AM/PM signal, a control terminal receptive of the control signal, and seven output terminals corresponding to the seven input terminals and corresponding to the seven segments of the seven segment array so that in the absence of the control signal, the signals applied to the seven input terminals appear on the corresponding seven output terminals to enable the corresponding seven segments whereby the seven segment array displays time and in response to the control signal, signals appear on five of the seven output terminals to enable the corresponding five segments of the seven segment array independent of the signals applied to the corresponding five input terminals, a signal appears on a sixth one of the seven output terminals to disable the corresponding one segment of the seven segment array, and a signal appears at the remaining one output terminal to enable or disable the corresponding one segment of the seven segment array according to the AM/PM signal whereby the seven segment array displays whether the time is AM or PM. .Iaddend.