Car-mounted input device

Details Car-mounted input device Car-mounted input device

2000-07-12

2003-07-15

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2836)

Electrical transmission or interconnection systems

Vehicle mounted systems

Automobile

C307S009100, C345S161000, C345S168000, C345S184000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06593667

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a car-mounted input device which allows various electrical devices mounted in a car to be collectively operated by a single manual operating section, and more particularly, to a means for improving operability of the input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, cars are equipped with various electrical devices, such as air conditioners, radios, televisions, CD players, and navigation systems. When such multiple electrical devices are individually operated by respective operating members provided therefor, problems may arise during driving of cars. In order to easily turn a desired electrical device on and off and to easily select functions thereof while safely driving the car, a car-mounted input device has been proposed hitherto, which allows various electrical devices to be operated in various manners by manipulating a single manual operating section.
Such a conventional car-mounted input device will be described below with reference to
FIGS. 28
to
31
.
FIG. 28
is an interior view of a car, showing an example of a manner of installation of a conventional car-mounted input device,
FIG. 29
is a side view of the conventional car-mounted input device,
FIG. 30
is a plan view of a manual operating section in the car-mounted input device shown in
FIG. 29
, and
FIG. 31
is a plan view of a guide plate incorporated in the car-mounted input device shown in FIG.
29
.
Referring to
FIG. 28
, a conventional car-mounted input device
100
of this example is installed in a console box
200
between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat in a car. As shown in
FIG. 29
, the car-mounted input device
100
primarily comprises a manual operating section
110
(see
FIG. 30
) serving as a signal input means and including two click switches
111
and
112
and three rotary variable resistors
113
,
114
, and
115
, an X-Y table
120
to be driven in two intersecting directions (a direction orthogonal to the plane of the paper in
FIG. 29 and a
right and left direction in the figure) by the manual operating section
110
, a stick controller
130
serving as a position signal input means for inputting signals in accordance with the direction and amount of operation of the X-Y table
120
to external devices, and a guide plate
140
(see
FIG. 31
) in engagement with an engaging pin
160
projecting from the lower surface of the X-Y table
120
.
The manual operating section
110
and the X-Y table
120
are combined via a connecting shaft
150
, and the X-Y table
120
and the guide plate
140
are engaged by movably fitting the leading end of the engaging pin
160
in a guide groove
141
formed on the guide plate
140
. The guide groove
141
may have an arbitrary shape such that the leading end of the engaging pin
160
can move in specific directions. For example, as shown in
FIG. 31
, the guide groove
141
may be formed in the shape of a cross in plan view on the upper surface of the guide plate
140
so that the leading end of the engaging pin
160
can move from the center position A to end points B, C, D, and E along two directions that are substantially orthogonal thereto. That is, the engaging pin
160
can be moved along the guide groove
141
of the guide plate
140
via the X-Y table
120
by operating the manual operating section
110
. In a state in which the leading end of the engaging pin
160
is placed at the point A, B, C, D, or E in the guide groove
141
, information (a position signal) about the engaging position is output from the stick controller
130
. For this reason, it is possible to alternatively select a function of the car-mounted electrical device to be operated (a function to be controlled) based on such a position signal. When a desired function of the electrical device is selected, it can be adjusted and switched by appropriately operating the three rotary variable resistors
113
to
115
provided in the manual operating section
110
.
The car-mounted input device
100
with such a configuration can collectively operate a plurality of electrical devices mounted in the car, in combination with a switch device
170
for alternatively selecting a desired one of the plural electrical devices, a display device
180
for displaying the name of the electrical device selected by the switch device
170
, the details of the operation by the car-mounted input device
100
, and the like, and a computer (not shown) for controlling the electrical devices. The switch device
170
is installed in the console box
200
. Control switches
171
a
to
171
e
of the switch device
170
are placed adjacent to the car-mounted input device
100
, and are respectively connected to different electrical devices. For example, when it is assumed that the control switches
171
a
to
171
e
are respectively connected to an air conditioner, a radio, a television, a CD player, and a navigation system mounted in the car, the air conditioner is turned on and off and an air conditioner mode is designated in the car-mounted input device
100
by operating the control switch
171
a
, and the radio is turned on and off and a radio mode is designated in the car-mounted input device
100
by operating the control switch
171
b
. Similarly, by operating the other control keys
171
c
to
171
e
, the electrical devices corresponding thereto are turned on and off, and the modes thereof are designated in the car-mounted input device
100
. The display device
180
, such as a liquid crystal display, is placed at such a position that it is readily viewed from the driver's seat, and the computer is installed inside the console box
200
.
While the functions of the electrical device selected by the switch device
170
can be selected and controlled by operating the car-mounted input device
100
, the functions to be selected and controlled by operating the car-mounted input device
100
vary depending on the type of the selected electrical device. For example, when an air conditioner mode is designated by operating the switch device
170
, the engaging pin
160
is placed into the end point B in the guide groove
141
of the guide plate
140
by operating the manual operating section
110
, and the click switch
111
is depressed and clicked, whereby a function “air flow control” is selected. When the engaging pin
160
is placed into the end point C in the guide groove
141
and the click switch
111
is clicked, a function “control of air blow position” is selected. Similarly, when the engaging pin
160
is placed into the end points D and E in the guide groove
141
and the click switch
111
is clicked, functions “control of air blow direction” and “temperature control” are selected.
After the function is selected, it can be controlled by appropriately operating the rotary variable resistors
113
to
115
. For example, when an air conditioner mode is selected by the switch device
170
and “air flow control” is selected by the manual operating section
110
, the volume of air from the air conditioner can be controlled by operating the rotary variable resistor
113
. When the air conditioner mode is similarly selected and “control of air blow position” is selected, the air blow position of the air conditioner can be controlled by operating the rotary variable resistors
114
and
115
. When a radio mode is selected by the switch device
170
and “volume control” is selected by manual operating section
110
, the volume of the radio can be controlled by operating the rotary variable resistor
113
. When the radio mode is similarly selected and “tuning” is selected, the radio can be tuned by operating the rotary variable resistors
114
and
115
.
In the conventional car-mounted input device
100
, the direction and range of operation of the manual operating section
110
are limited by fitting the leading end of the engaging pin
160
, which is combined with the manual operating section
110
via the connecting shaft
150
and the X-Y table
120
, in the guide groove

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