Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-24
2002-10-08
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
C345S161000, C345S163000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06462730
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle mounted input unit for centrally operating various types of electronic equipment, mounted on a motor vehicle, at a single manual operation section, and more particularly to a means to enhance versatility and multi-functional performance of the input unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the recent years, a motor vehicle is equipped with many electronic equipment such as an airconditioner, a radio, a television, a CD player and a navigation system. Since the individual operation of many electronic equipment may interfere with the driving of a motor vehicle, in order to facilitate the ON-OFF operations of desired electronic equipment, function selection, control of the selected function and others while ensuring safety operation, there has hitherto been proposed a vehicle mounted input unit capable of accomplishing all these operations by manipulating a single manual operation section.
FIGS. 8
to
13
are illustrations of a vehicle mounted input unit which has been proposed so far.
FIG. 8
shows an interior of a motor vehicle incorporating a vehicle mounted input unit,
FIG. 9
is a side elevational view showing a conventional vehicle mounted input unit,
FIG. 10
is a plan view showing a manual operation section constituting the vehicle mounted input unit,
FIG. 11
is a plan view showing a guide plate constituting the vehicle mounted input unit,
FIG. 12
is a table showing the relationship between an engaging position of an engaging pin with a guide groove and a selected function when an airconditioner is selected through a switch device, and
FIG. 13
is a table showing the relationship between an engaging position of an engaging pin with a guide groove and a selected function when a radio is selected through the switch device.
As
FIG. 8
shows, this vehicle mounted input unit
100
is placed on a console box
200
existing between the driver's seat and the assistant's seat in the motor vehicle.
As
FIGS. 9
to
11
show, this vehicle mounted input unit
100
is principally composed of a manual operation section
110
comprising two click switches
111
,
112
and three rotary variable resistors
113
,
114
,
115
, serving as a signal input means, an X-Y table
120
drivable in X directions and in Y directions perpendicular to the X directions through the manual operation section
110
, a stick controller
130
serving as a position signal input means for inputting a signal corresponding to an operating direction and operating quantity of the X-Y table
120
, and a guide plate
140
engaged through the X-Y table
120
with the manual operation section
110
.
The manual operation section
110
and the X-Y table
120
are integrally connected through a connecting shaft
150
to each other, while the X-Y table
120
and the guide plate
140
are engaged with each other in a manner that a tip portion of an engaging pin
160
made to protrude from a lower surface of the X-Y table
120
is movably inserted into a guide groove
141
made in an upper surface of the guide plate
140
. The guide groove
141
is, as shown in
FIG. 11
, made up of three vertical grooves
141
a,
141
b,
141
c
arranged at a constant interval, and one horizontal groove
141
d
connecting the central portions of these three vertical grooves
141
a,
141
b,
141
c,
with each of the grooves
141
a
to
141
d
being formed to have a width whereby the engaging pin
160
is movable only in its longitudinal directions. Accordingly, the manual operation section
110
and the X-Y table
120
are movable only in the X directions (the longitudinal directions of the horizontal groove
141
d
) and the Y directions (the longitudinal directions of the vertical grooves
141
a
to
141
c
) normal to the X directions within a range depending on the pattern and size of the guide groove
141
.
The functional selection of the vehicle mounted electronic equipment is achievable in a manner that the engaging pin
160
is shifted to one of the positions of the end portions and intermediate portions of the respective vertical grooves
141
a,
141
b,
141
c
as indicated by reference marks A to I, and one of the two click switches
111
,
112
on the manual operation section
110
is operated. That is, in this way, the positional information on the engaging position between the engaging pin
160
and the guide groove
141
, selected through the operations of the manual operation section
110
and the X-Y table
120
, can be outputted from the stick controller
130
, which enables the selection of the function of the vehicle mounted electronic equipment, to be used, by that positional information.
In addition, the function of the electronic equipment selected through the operations of the manual operation section
110
and the clock switch
111
or
112
is adjustable by operating any one of the three rotary variable resistors
113
,
114
,
115
placed on the manual operation section
110
.
The vehicle mounted input unit
100
thus constructed operates each electronic equipment convergently with a combination of a switch device (assembly) for selecting a desired one from a plurality of electronic equipment mounted on a motor vehicle, to be put to use, in an alternative way, a display unit for displaying the name of the electronic equipment selected by the switch device and the contents of operation by the vehicle mounted input unit
100
and a computer for controlling each of these equipment.
That is, as shown in
FIG. 8
, a switch device
170
comprising a combination of a plurality of (five in the example shown in
FIG. 8
) switches
171
a
to
171
e
is installed in the vicinity of a setting section of the vehicle mounted input unit
100
on the console box
200
, and a display unit
180
such as a liquid crystal display is placed at a portion of the console box
180
, which is easy to see from the driver's seat. Incidentally, the computer is to be placed within the console box
200
and is omitted from the illustration.
The switches
171
a
to
171
e
of the switch device
170
are individually connected to a plurality of electronic equipment mounted on a motor vehicle. For instance, let it be assumed that the switches
171
a,
171
b,
171
c,
171
d
and
171
e
are individually connected to the airconditioner, the radio, the television, the CD player and the navigation system, respectively, the airconditioner can be selected in an alternative way by operating the switch
171
a,
while the radio can be selected in an alternative way by the operation of the switch
171
b.
Similar operations are done in terms of the other electronic equipment. Thus, the operation of one of the switches
171
a
to
171
e
provided in the switch device
170
allows the turning-on or turning-off of a desired electronic equipment.
The function selection and function control of the electronic equipment selected through the switch device
170
can be accomplished by the operation of the vehicle mounted input unit
100
. The functions to be selectable through the vehicle mounted input unit
100
depend upon the type of electronic. equipment selected. For instance, if the airconditioner is selected through the switch device
170
, the relationship between the engaging positions A to I of the engaging pin
160
with the guide groove
141
shown in FIG.
11
and the functions to be selected is as shown in FIG.
12
. On the other hand, if the radio is selected through the switch device
170
, the relationship between the engaging positions A to I and the functions to be selected is as shown in FIG.
13
.
Meanwhile, the functions to be adjustable by the vehicle mounted input unit
100
also depend upon the type and function of the electronic equipment selected. For instance, if the airconditioner is selected through the switch device
170
and the “Air Quantity Control” is selected through the manual operation section
110
, the air quantity is adjustable through the operation of the first rotary variable resistor
113
. Further, if th
Mitsuzuka Katsuya
Numata Hidetaka
Onodera Mikio
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Hjerpe Richard
Nguyen Kimnhung
LandOfFree
Vehicle mounted input unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle mounted input unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle mounted input unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2982751