Communications: electrical – Traffic control indicator – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2001-01-09
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Traffic control indicator
Combined
C340S461000, C705S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ETC (electronic toll collection system) car-mounted equipment having a mirror unit. More particularly, the invention relates to an ETC car-mounted equipment which can be attached to an existing room mirror in a vehicle and enhances operability impairing neither the communication function nor the visual range for operation.
2. Prior Art
An electronic toll collection system called ETC has heretofore been known, and an ETC car-mounted equipment has been known too, the ETC equipment being mounted on a vehicle to exchange the data related to the balance and toll (hereinafter referred to as “ETC data”) relative to an ETC road equipment.
The ETC car-mounted equipment has an antenna unit which includes an antenna element and an RF substrate, and must be installed at such a position in a vehicle where the communication function can be maintained between the antenna unit and the ETC road equipment without impairing the visual range for operation.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 297758/1996 discloses an ETC car-mounted equipment having a mirror unit, which is incorporated in a room mirror in the vehicle as a unitary structure.
FIG. 10
is a perspective view schematically illustrating the constitution of a conventional ETC car-mounted equipment having a mirror unit.
In
FIG. 10
, a main body
3
of the ETC car-mounted equipment is attached, via a stay (not shown), to a roof
2
in the room of a vehicle so as to be located at an upper part of a windshield
1
of the vehicle.
The main body
3
of the car-mounted equipment includes a mirror unit
4
provided on the upper surface of a front closure that can be opened and closed, an antenna unit
5
provided on the back surface side, an IC card insertion port
6
in which will be inserted an IC card
10
for storing ETC data, a display unit
7
for displaying ETC data, a key switch
8
including ten keys for inputting data, and a buzzer
9
for alarming abnormal condition.
In the constitution of
FIG. 10
, the IC card
10
is inserted in the IC card insertion port
6
of the main body
3
of the car-mounted equipment, whereby the specific ETC data are read out to specify a person who uses the vehicle and the ETC car-mounted equipment.
Therefore, the ETC car-mounted equipment functions preventing the chances of being used without authorization, and the antenna unit
5
executes communication with the ETC road equipment (not shown) installed at a toll gate of a toll road. Accordingly, a toll for using the road is automatically collected and settled based upon a wireless communication.
Here, the main body
3
of the car-mounted equipment in which the IC card
10
will be inserted, is incorporated in the existing room mirror as a unitary structure. When the front closure is closed, the mirror unit
4
serves as a room mirror without interrupting the visual range for operation.
To input the data or command, the driver opens the front closure having the mirror unit
4
and manipulates the key switch
8
to input any data or command.
As described above, the conventional ETC car-mounted equipment has been constituted together with the room mirror as a unitary structure. Therefore, the ETC car-mounted equipment must be incorporated at the time when the vehicle is being assembled in a plant. In other words, it is difficult to attach the ETC car-mounted equipment after the vehicle has been assembled. Depending upon the models of vehicles, furthermore, the directivity of the antenna unit
5
is not often set in an optimum manner.
To input the data, furthermore, the front closure fabricated together with the mirror unit
4
must be opened; i.e., the data are not easily input and, besides, the mirror unit
4
does not function while it is being opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was accomplished in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an ETC car-mounted equipment which can be attached to the existing room mirror in a vehicle and which can be favorably operated to input data impairing neither the communication function nor the visual range for operation.
The present invention is concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment for exchanging ETC data relative to an ETC road equipment, comprising:
a main body of the car-mounted equipment having a display unit for displaying the ETC data;
an IC card insertion port formed in the main body of said car-mounted equipment and in which will be inserted an IC card that stores said ETC data;
a mirror unit provided on the front surface of the main body of said car-mounted equipment;
an antenna unit provided on the back surface side of the main body of said car-mounted equipment; and
resilient holding units for holding the main body of said car-mounted equipment on a room mirror in said vehicle integrally therewith.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein the main body of said car-mounted equipment has holder rubbers which are disposed being opposed to said resilient holding units to hold said room mirror.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, further comprising a burglarproof mechanism for securing the main body of said car-mounted equipment to the room mirror.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein said burglarproof mechanism includes openings formed in the main body of said car-mounted equipment and a burglarproof metal fitting, and said burglarproof metal fitting includes:
a mirror stay-engaging portion that engages with the stay of said room mirror;
protuberances inserted in the openings of the main body of said car-mounted equipment; and
locking pawls provided at portions of said protuberances to engage with said openings.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein said mirror stay-engaging portion has a U-shape of which the width can be variably set depending upon the shape of said stay.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein the openings in the main body of said car-mounted equipment produce resiliency in the opening/closing direction, and the state of engagement between the locking pawls of said burglarproof metal fitting and the openings in the main body of said car-mounted equipment, is liberated by inserting a special jig in said openings.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein the protuberances of said burglarproof metal fitting comprise a pair of protuberances that produce resiliency toward the inside, said locking pawls are provided on the inside only of each of said pair of protuberances, and the state of engagement between the locking pawls of said burglarproof metal fitting and the openings in the main body of said car-mounted equipment, is liberated by inserting a special jig between said pair of protuberances.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein an antenna-mounting portion for mounting said antenna unit on the main body of said car-mounted equipment, includes an antenna angle-adjusting mechanism for adjusting the direction of communication of said antenna unit.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein said antenna angle-adjusting mechanism includes at least a front direction angle-adjusting shaft and a side direction angle-adjusting shaft for turning the communication plane of said antenna unit in the directions of a plurality of axes with respect to the direction in which the vehicle travels.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein said display unit is arranged at a lower part on the front surface of the main body of said car-mounted equipment, and has key switches on both sides thereof for inputting the data.
The invention is further concerned with an ETC car-mounted equipment, wherein the main body of said car-mounted equipment has a hole through which a reflection-preventing lever of said room mirror prot
Hakozaki Hirotoshi
Okada Shimon
Mitsubushi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Wu Daniel J.
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