A motor control circuit includes a driver having ON and OFF states, and outputs a drive signal to a coil of a motor, a lower limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is less than a lower limit, an upper limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is more than an upper limit, a drive controller placing the driver into the ON state based on a detection result in the lower limit detector after the driver is brought into the OFF state, and placing the driver into the OFF state when the upper limit detector detects that the current is more than the upper limit after a predetermined time elapses from the driver being placed in the ON state, and a polarity switcher switching a polarity of the drive signal when an OFF time of the driver satisfies a polarity switching condition.

A motor control circuit includes a driver having ON and OFF states, and outputs a drive signal to a coil of a motor, a lower limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is less than a lower limit, an upper limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is more than an upper limit, a drive controller placing the driver into the ON state based on a detection result in the lower limit detector after the driver is brought into the OFF state, and placing the driver into the OFF state when the upper limit detector detects that the current is more than the upper limit after a predetermined time elapses from the driver being placed in the ON state, and a polarity switcher switching a polarity of the drive signal when an OFF time of the driver satisfies a polarity switching condition.

A drive controller of an instrument controls a stepping motor to rotate a pointer of the instrument attached to a rotation shaft of the stepping motor, the pointer rotatable between a zero scale position and a maximum scale position. The drive controller controls the stepping motor to perform a sweeping operation in which the pointer is swung from the zero scale position to the maximum scale position and returned back to the zero scale position, wherein the drive controller controls the stepping motor, during the sweeping operation, to accelerate to a predetermined speed by outputting a rated torque signal to the stepping motor and controls the stepping motor to rotate at the predetermined speed by outputting a decreased torque signal to the stepping motor, the decreased torque signal being lower than the rated torque signal.

A drive controller of an instrument controls a stepping motor to rotate a pointer of the instrument attached to a rotation shaft of the stepping motor, the pointer rotatable between a zero scale position and a maximum scale position. The drive controller controls the stepping motor to perform a sweeping operation in which the pointer is swung from the zero scale position to the maximum scale position and returned back to the zero scale position, wherein the drive controller controls the stepping motor, during the sweeping operation, to accelerate to a predetermined speed by outputting a rated torque signal to the stepping motor and controls the stepping motor to rotate at the predetermined speed by outputting a decreased torque signal to the stepping motor, the decreased torque signal being lower than the rated torque signal.

An electronic device including: a calculation unit configured to generate a signal representative of a physical magnitude, for a motor driving a display device, the motor including two terminals, one positive and one negative, via which the calculation unit controls the motor; at least one shock detection circuit connected between the calculation unit and one terminal of the motor for detection of an external shock applied to the motor. The shock detection circuit includes a comparison part comparing an induced voltage generated in the motor following a shock to a predetermined reference voltage to identify a shock, and a selection part.

An electronic device including: a calculation unit configured to generate a signal representative of a physical magnitude, for a motor driving a display device, the motor including two terminals, one positive and one negative, via which the calculation unit controls the motor; at least one shock detection circuit connected between the calculation unit and one terminal of the motor for detection of an external shock applied to the motor. The shock detection circuit includes a comparison part comparing an induced voltage generated in the motor following a shock to a predetermined reference voltage to identify a shock, and a selection part.

A method for detecting rotor position for a single coil DC motor or 2-coil DC motor with non-parallel windings, with no need of Hall position sensor. The method comprises applying a first respectively second probe pulse for generating a first response pulse having a first direction or polarity and a second response pulse having a second direction or polarity. The probe pulses are adapted so they do not substantially move the rotor with respect to the stator, but affect the magnetic properties of the stator. By comparing the measured effects caused by the probe pulses, the initial position of the rotor with respect to the stator is determined. A method for start-up, a motor driver circuit, and a motor assembly comprising said motor and driver circuit are also provided.

A stepping motor includes a rotor, a stator and three coils. The rotor is two-pole magnetized in a radius direction. The stator is provided with a rotor receiving section for receiving the rotor. The three coils are magnetically connected with the stator. At least one of the three coils is an integrated coil which is integrally formed with the stator by winding a coil around a part of the stator.

An electronic timepiece enables driving by appropriate drive conditions even when the load on a motor changes. The electronic timepiece includes a motor having a coil; a driver that is controlled to an on state supplying drive current to the coil, and an off state not supplying the drive current; a driver controller configured to control the driver to the on state or the off state based on a control parameter and current value through the coil; and a control parameter setter configured to maintain or change the control parameter based on the on state or the off state control state of the driver controller.

An electronic timepiece enables driving by appropriate drive conditions even when the load on a motor changes. The electronic timepiece includes a motor having a coil; a driver that is controlled to an on state supplying drive current to the coil, and an off state not supplying the drive current; a driver controller configured to control the driver to the on state or the off state based on a control parameter and current value through the coil; and a control parameter setter configured to maintain or change the control parameter based on the on state or the off state control state of the driver controller.