Electronic timepiece and method of making the same

Claim 2

An electronic timepiece comprising display means for displaying time in digital readout form, a resistor-capacitor oscillator time base generator operative to produce a first train of output pulses having a preselected pulse repetition fRequency, and logic circuit means connected to the output of said time base generator and operative to count down said first time base pulse train to provide second and third pulse trains having pulse repetition frequencies of one pulse per hour and one pulse per minute respectively, said time base generator and said logic circuit means being in the form of an integrated circuit mounted on said display means, said time base generator including a timing resistor comprising first and second resistors the resistance value of said first resistor being at least several times as large as the resistance value of said second resistor.

Claim 3

An electronic timepiece comprising display means for displaying time in digital readout form, a resistor-capacitor oscillator time base generator operative to produce a first train of output pulses having a preselected pulse repetition frequency, and logic circuit means connected to the output of said time base generator and operative to count down said first time base pulse train to provide second and third pulse trains having pulse repetition frequencies of one pulse per hour and one pulse per minute respectively, said time base generator and said logic circuit means being in the form of an integrated circuit mounted on said display means, said time base generator including a timing resistor comprising first and second resistors in series arrangement, the resistance value of said second series resistor being at least several times as large as the resistance value of said first series resistor.

Claim 4

An electronic timepiece comprising display means for displaying time in digital readout form, a resistor-capacitor oscillator time base generator operative to produce a first train of output pulses having a preselected pulse repetition frequency, and logic circuit means connected to the output of said time base generator and operative to count down said first time base pulse train to provide second and third pulse trains having pulse repetition frequencies of one pulse per hour and one pulse per minute respectively, said time base generator and said logic circuit means being in the form of an integrated circuit mounted on said display means, said time base generator including a timing resistor comprising first and second resistors in series arrangement, the resistance value of said second series resistor being at least several times as large as the resistance value of said first series resistor.

Claim 5

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said resistor-capacitor oscillator comprises said timing resistor and a timing capacitor whose respective resistance values and capacitance values determine the pulse repetition frequency of said first train of output pulses.

Claim 6

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 3 wherein said timing resistor has a positive temperature coefficient whereby the pulse repetition frequency of said first pulse train tends to decrease for an increase in the ambient temperature of said timing resistor and consequent increase in the resistance value thereof.

Claim 7

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 4 wherein said timing capacitor has a negative temperature coefficient whereby the pulse repetition frequency of said first pulse train tends to increase for an increase in the ambient temperature of said timing capacitor and consequent decrease in the capacitance value thereof.

Claim 8

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 5 wherein the absolute values of said positive and negative temperature coefficients respectively of said timing resistor and timing capacitor are substantially numerically equal whereby the pulse repetition frequency of said first pulse train tends to remain substantially constant in response to an increase or decrease in the ambient temperature of said time base generator.

Claim 9

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said time base generator comprises a phase shift oscillator.

Claim 10

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said time base generator comprises a Wien bridge oscillator.

Claim 11

An electronic timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second resistors are in parallel arrangement.