Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-13
2002-10-01
Scott, J. R. (Department: 2832)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
C180S315000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459169
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular input device including a single manual operating unit for operating concentratively various electronic devices mounted on a vehicle. Particularly, the invention is concerned with means for improving the versatility and operability of the input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up-to-date automobiles are equipped with various electronic devices such as air conditioner, radio, television, CD player, and navigation system. If these electronic devices are each individually operated by operating controls which are provided in the electronic devices respectively, there may be an obstacle to driving the automobiles. For facilitating the selection of a desired function, e.g., ON-OFF switching, of a certain electronic device without obstructing safe driving, a vehicular input device has heretofore been proposed in which various operations of various electronic devices can be conducted by operating a single manual operating unit.
A conventional technique associated with such a vehicular input device will be described below with reference to
FIGS. 16
to
19
, of which
FIG. 16
is an interior diagram of an automobile, showing an example of a vehicular input device,
FIG. 17
is a side view of a vehicular input device proposed heretofore,
FIG. 18
is a plan view of a manual operating unit used in the vehicular input device shown in
FIG. 17
, and
FIG. 19
is a plan view of a guide plate incorporated in the vehicular input device shown in FIG.
17
.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, the vehicular input device of this example, indicated at
100
, is installed in a console box
200
which is disposed between the driver seat and the front occupant seat. The conventional vehicular input device
100
shown in
FIG. 17
is mainly composed of a manual operating unit
110
(see
FIG. 18
) provided with two switches
111
and
112
for click as signal input means and three rotary variable resistors
113
,
114
, and
115
; an XY table
120
which is operated in two directions orthogonal to each other (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG.
17
and in the transverse direction in the same figure) by means of the manual operating unit
110
; a stick controller
130
that functions as a position signal input means which inputs signals to an external device in accordance with an operating direction of the XY table
120
and the amount of operation of the same table; and a guide plate
140
(see
FIG. 19
) which is engaged with an engaging pin
160
projecting from a lower surface of the XY table
120
.
The manual operating unit
110
and the XY table
120
are rendered integral with each other through a connecting shaft
150
. The XY table
120
and the guide plate
140
are engaged with each other by inserting a lower end portion of the engaging pin
160
movably into a guide groove
141
formed in the guide plate
140
. The guide groove
141
can be set in a desired shape which permits the lower end portion of the engaging pin
160
to move in a specific direction. For example, as shown in
FIG. 19
, a guide groove
141
which is cross-shaped in plan may be formed in an upper surface of the guide plate
140
so that the lower end portion of the engaging pin
160
can be moved up to end portions of B, C, D, and E in two generally orthogonal directions from a center A. More specifically, by operating the manual operating unit
110
the engaging pin
160
can be moved along the guide groove
141
of the guide plate
140
through the XY table
120
, and with the lower end portion of the engaging pin
160
positioned in any of the end points A, B, C, D, and E in the guide groove
141
, information (a position signal) on that engaged position is outputted from the stick controller
130
. Therefore, by utilizing such a position signal, a function (a function to be adjusted) of an electronic device mounted on a vehicle can be selected in an alternative manner. After a desired function of the electronic device has thus been selected, it is possible to make adjustment or switching of the selected function by suitably operating the three rotary variable resistors
113
to
115
provided in the manual operating unit
110
.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, the vehicular input device
100
thus constructed is combined with a switch unit
170
which selects a desired electronic device alternatively from among plural electronic devices mounted on the vehicle, a display
180
which displays the name of the electronic device selected by the switch unit
170
and the contents of operation performed by the vehicular input device
100
, and further with a computer (not shown) which controls those devices. As a result, the plural electronic devices can be operated in a concentrative manner. The switch unit
170
is installed in a console box
200
and is provided with operating switches
171
a
to
171
e
which are disposed near the vehicular input device
100
and which are connected each independently to different electronic devices. For example, if the operating switches
171
a
to
171
e
are connected each independently to air conditioner, radio, television, CD player, and navigation system, which are mounted on the vehicle, ON-OFF switching of the air conditioner and designation of an air conditioner mode for the vehicular input device
100
can be done by operating the operating switch
171
a
, and ON-OFF switching of the radio and designation of a radio mode for the vehicular input device
100
can be done by operating the operating switch
171
b
. Likewise, by operating the other operating switches
171
c
to
171
e
it is possible to effect ON-OFF switching of the corresponding electronic devices and mode designation for the vehicular input device
100
. The display
180
, e.g., a liquid crystal display, is installed in a position easy to see from the driver seat, while the computer referred to above is installed within the. console box
200
.
The selection and adjustment of a function of the electronic device selected by the switch unit
170
can be done by operating the vehicular input device
100
, but the function capable of being selected and adjusted by operation of the vehicular input device
100
differs depending on the type of the selected electronic device. For example, when the air conditioner mode has been designated by operating the switch unit
170
, if the engaging pin
160
is positioned in the end portion B of the guide groove
141
of the guide plate
140
by operating the manual operating unit
110
and if the clicking switch
111
is depressed for clicking, there is selected an “air volume adjust” function, while if the engaging pin
160
is positioned in the end portion C of the guide groove
141
and the switch
111
is clicked, there is selected an “air blow-off position adjust” function. Likewise, if the switch
111
is clicked with the engaging pin
160
positioned in the end portions D and E of the guide groove
141
, there are selected “air blow-off direction adjust” and “temperature adjust” functions.
After the selection of functions, the functions can be adjusted by suitably operating the rotary variable resistors
113
to
115
. For example, with the air conditioner mode designated by the switch unit
170
and “air volume adjust” selected by the manual operating unit
110
, the air volume in the air conditioner can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistor
113
. Likewise, when “air blow-off position adjust” is selected in the air conditioner mode, the air blow-off position from the air conditioner can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistors
114
and
115
. When the radio mode is designated by the switch unit
170
and “volume adjust” selected by the manual operating unit
110
, the volume of the radio can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistor
113
. Further, “tuning” is selected in the radio mode, tuning of the radio can be done by operating the rotary variable resistors
114
and
115
.
The conventional vehicular input device
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Scott J. R.
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