Electronic timepiece

Claim 2

In an electronic timepiece including a semiconductor integrated timepiece circuit, the improvement comprising: said timepiece circuit having a stacked logic level circuit structure comprising static induction transistor logic, said stacked logic level circuit structure including at least two static induction transistor inverter circuits which each operate at less than 0.5 volts and which are connected in series; and an electric power cell having a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts connected for applying the nominal 1.5 volts to power said timepiece circuit.

Claim 3

In an electronic timepiece according to claim 2, said timepiece circuit including in at least one logic level a multistage divider circuit comprised of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain, at least a first divider stage of said divider circuit comprising a static induction transistor inverter circuit; and means for powering said static induction transistor inverter circuit at less than 0.5 volts.

Claim 4

In an electronic timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said electric power cell is a battery comprising compounds selected from the group consisting of AgO and HgO.

Claim 5

In an electronic timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said timepiece circuit includes a time base signal source for generating a time base signal having a frequency greater than about one megahertz; said divider circuit receives the time base signal for dividing the time base signal and for developing a low frequency timing signal representative of time.

Claim 6

An electronic timepiece, comprising: a time base signal source for developing a repetitive high frequency time base signal, said time base signal source comprising a quartz vibrator having a frequency of about one megahertz or higher and an inverter circuit, and said inverter circuit comprising a static induction transistor comprised of a source region, a gate region and a drain region, and a bipolar transistor comprised of a collector region common to said gate region, a base region common to said source region and an emitter region; an integrated multi-stage divider circuit comprised of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain for dividing the high frequency time base signal and for developing a low frequency timing signal representative of time, wherein at least the first divider stage of said divider circuit includes an inverter circuit comprised of a static induction transistor including a source region, a gate region and drain region, and a bipolar transistor having a collector region which is common to said gate region, a base region which is common to said source region and an emitter region, said inverter circuit of the first divider stage having circuit parameters for rendering said inverter circuit operative at a voltage less than 0.5 volts; another circuit stage of the electronic timepiece having circuit structure operative at a voltage less than 0.5 volts; means for connecting said inverter circuit of said divider circuit in series with said another circuit stage of said timepiece; and display means receptive of the low frequency timing signal for displaying time.

Claim 7

An electronic timepiece, comprising: a time base signal source for developing a repetitive high frequency time base signal, said time base signal source comprising a quartz vibrator having a frequency of about one megahertz or higher and an inverter circuit, and said inverter circuit comprising a static induction transistor comprised of a source region, a gate region and a drain region, and a bipolar transistor comprised of a collector region common to said gate region, a base region common to said source region and an emitter region; an integrated multi-stage divider circuit comprised of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain for dividing the high frequency time base signal and for developing a low frequency timing signal representative of time, wherein at least the first divider stage of said divider circuit includes an inverter circuit comprised of a static induction transistor including a source region, a gate region and drain region, and a bipolar transistor having a collector region which is common to said gate region, a base region which is common to said source region and an emitter region, said inverter circuit of the first divider stage having circuit parameters for rendering said inverter circuit operative at a voltage less than 0.5 volts; another circuit stage of the electronic timepiece having circuit structure operative at a voltage less than 0.5 volts; means for connecting said inverter circuit of said divider circuit in series with said another circuit stage of said timepiece; and display means receptive of the low frequency timing signal for displaying time.

Claim 8

An electronic timepiece according to claim 5, wherein said multi-stage divider circuit further includes divider stages which operate at frequencies less than one megahertz and which are comprised of CMOS transistor inverter circuits.

Claim 9

An electronic timepiece according to claim 5, wherein divider stages of said multi-stage divider circuit operating above a critical frequency are comrpised of static induction transistor inverter circuits and divider stages operating at the critical frequency and less than the critical frequency are comprised of CMOS transistor inverter circuits.

Claim 10

An electronic timepiece according to claim 7, wherein the critical frequency is 1 MHz.

Claim 11

An electronic timepiece according to claim 5, further comprising a battery having a voltage of about 1.5 volts for powering said timepiece with a total voltage of about 1.5 volts.

Claim 12

In an electronic timepiece including a semiconductor integrated timepiece circuit, the improvement comprising: an electronic power cell having a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts for powering said timepiece circuit; and said timepiece circuit having a stacked logic level circuit structure comprising static induction transistor logic, a time base signal source for generating a time base signal having a frequency greater than about four megahertz, at least one logic level including a multi-stage divider circuit comprised of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain and having a first and successive divider stages which operate at a frequency greater than about one megahertz and which comprise static induction transistor inverter circuits, said multi-stage divider circuit receiving the time base signal for dividing same and for developing a low frequency timing signal representative of time, and means receptive of the nominal 1.5 volt power cell voltage for powering respective ones of said logic levels with a voltage of less than 0.5 volts.

Claim 13

In an electronic timepiece including a semiconductor integrated timepiece circuit, the improvement comprising: an electronic power cell having a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts for powering said timepiece circuit; and said timepiece circuit having a stacked logic level circuit structure comprising static induction transistor logic, a time base signal source for generating a time base signal having a frequency greater than about four megahertz, at least one logic level including a multi-stage divider circuit comprised of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain and having a first and successive divider stages which operate at a frequency greater than about one megahertz and which comprise static induction transistor inverter circuits, said multi-stage divider circuit receiving the time base signal for dividing same and for developing a low frequency timing signal representative of time, and means receptive of the nominal 1.5 volt power cell voltage for powering respective ones of said logic levels with a voltage of less than 0.5 volts.

Claim 14

In an electronic timepiece according to claim 10, wherein said multi-stage divider circuit includes divider stages which operate at a frequency less than about one megahertz and which are comprised of CMOS transistor inverter circuits.

Claim 15

In an electronic timepiece according to claim 11, wherein the number of divider stages comprised of static induction transistor inverter circuits and the number of divider stages comprised of CMOS transistor inverter circuits are selected to optimize the power cell lifetime.

Claim 16

An electronic timepiece according to claim 9, wherein said battery is an electric power cell comprising compounds selected from the group consisting of AgO and HgO.

Claim 17

An electronic timepiece, comprising: a quartz vibrator time base signal source having a quartz vibrator element and a frequency of about one megahertz or higher, and an inverter circuit consisting of a static induction transistor formed by a source region, a gate region, and a drain region and a bipolar transistor formed by a collector region common to said gate region, a base region common to said source region, and an emitter region; an integrated multi-stage divider circuit composed of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain for dividing the time base signal to generate a low frequency timing signal representative of time, wherein at least the first divider stage of said divider circuit consists of an inverter circuit having the same structure as said inverter circuit in said vibrator; a voltage supply for supplying voltage to the timepiece; another circuit stage of the timepiece; wherein at least said first divider stage and said another circuit stage having said inverter circuit structure are connected in series to the voltage supply and operate under a voltage less than 0.5 volt for each of said first divider circuit and said another circuit stage; and display means receptive of the low frequency timing signal for displaying time.

Claim 18

An electronic timepiece, comprising: a quartz vibrator time base signal source having a quartz vibrator element and a frequency of about one megahertz or higher, and an inverter circuit consisting of a static induction transistor formed by a source region, a gate region, and a drain region and a bipolar transistor formed by a collector region common to said gate region, a base region common to said source region, and an emitter region; an integrated multi-stage divider circuit composed of a plurality of divider stages connected in a countdown chain for dividing the time base signal to generate a low frequency timing signal representative of time, wherein at least the first divider stage of said divider circuit consists of an inverter circuit having the same structure as said inverter circuit in said vibrator; a voltage supply for supplying voltage to the timepiece; another circuit stage of the timepiece; wherein at least said first divider stage and said another circuit stage having said inverter circuit structure are connected in series to the voltage supply and operate under a voltage less than 0.5 volt for each of said first divider circuit and said another circuit stage; and display means receptive of the low frequency timing signal for displaying time.

Claim 19

An electronic timepiece according to claim 14, wherein divider stages of said multi-stage divider circuit operating above a critical frequency are comprised of said inverter circuit, and divider stages operating at less than the critical frequency are comprised of CMOS circuits.

Claim 20

An electronic timepiece according to claim 15, wherein said critical frequency is 1 MHz.

Claim 21

An electronic timepiece according to claim 4, further comprising a battery having a voltage of about 1.5 volts for powering said timepiece with a total voltage of about 1.5 volts.

Claim 22

An electronic timepiece according to claim 17, wherein said battery is an electronic power cell made of compounds selected from the group consisting of AgO and HgO.