JP4086853B2 - Entertainment system mounted on the vehicle - Google Patents

Description

    The present invention is an on-board entertainment system that can enjoy audio and video output from audio devices such as CD players, DVD players, FM / AM tuners, cassette tape players, etc. in both the front seat and the rear seat. More specifically, the present invention relates to an entertainment system that can control an audio device from the front seat side to the rear seat side.

In addition to audio devices that output audio signals such as CD players, cassette tape players, and FM / AM tuners, audio devices that output video signals such as TV tuners and DVD players are mounted on the vehicle. Various audio sources (hereinafter referred to as “sound sources” including audio devices that provide video as well as audio)
Can be enjoyed). Conventionally, such an entertainment system has been controlled by a head unit provided on a dashboard on the front seat side. That is, the entertainment system has been configured so that one of the desired sound sources is selected by operating a button provided on the head unit, and all the passengers enjoy the selected sound source.

  In recent years, there has been proposed a rear entertainment system in which a rear control unit is provided on the rear seat side so that a user in the rear seat can select a sound source and enjoy audio or video independently of the user in the front seat. According to this rear entertainment system, the rear seat user can select and enjoy a sound source different from the sound source selected by the front seat head unit by operating the rear control unit.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-114027 describes an in-vehicle audiovisual reproduction apparatus in which a main control unit is provided on the front seat side and a rear control unit is provided on the rear seat side. The rear control unit includes a holder for inserting a headphone plug, a button for selecting a sound source, a button for operating the selected sound source, a volume button, and the type of the currently selected sound source. A display is provided for display. The rear seat user turns on the power of the rear control unit by inserting the headphone plug into the headphone plug holder. Thereafter, a desired sound source can be selected by a button, and a sound source different from the front seat user can be enjoyed using headphones.

US Pat. No. 5,661,811 describes an in-vehicle audio system in which a front control unit is provided on the front seat side and a rear control unit is provided on the rear seat side. The rear control unit is provided with a power button, a button for selecting a sound source, and a button for operating the selected sound source. When the audio system is turned on, only the front control unit is on and the rear control unit remains off. When the power button provided on the rear control unit is pressed, the rear control unit is turned on, the headphones can be used, and the rear speakers are disconnected. The rear seat user can operate the rear control unit to select a sound source different from that of the front seat user and enjoy it with headphones.
JP 2001-114027 A US Pat. No. 5,661,811

  The rear entertainment system as described above is a useful system for the front seat user and the rear seat user to enjoy different sound sources. However, depending on the rear seat user, it may be difficult to operate the rear control unit provided on the rear seat side. For example, when a young child gets on the back seat, it is difficult for the young child to select the desired sound source or change the channel by operating the rear control unit, and the operation buttons are not prepared. Pressing the button may cause incorrect operation of the rear control unit.

  Furthermore, when a person unaccustomed to the operation of the audio system mounted on the vehicle gets in the rear seat, it may be difficult to immediately use the rear control unit. In addition, since the rear control unit is provided on the rear seat side, it is difficult for the user in the front seat to operate with the hand reaching the rear control unit for the user in the rear seat.

  Therefore, there is a need for an entertainment system mounted on a vehicle that can reliably perform audio control from the front seat side to the rear seat side.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, an entertainment system mounted on a vehicle is provided that includes a plurality of sound sources and a head unit attached to the front seat. The head unit selects a front sound source to be reproduced on the front seat side from a plurality of sound sources and controls the front sound source, and selects a rear sound source to be reproduced on the rear seat side from the plurality of sound sources and selects the rear sound source. A control changeover switch for switching between rear control to be controlled is provided. From the front seat side, not only the front sound source played on the front seat side but also the rear sound source played on the rear seat side can be selected and controlled, so the audio operation by the rear seat user is easy for the front seat user Can assist. This is particularly useful when the rear seat user is a young child or a person unfamiliar with audio operations.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, after switching to the rear control by the control switch, the rear control is switched to the front control if the head unit is not operated for a predetermined time or longer. Also, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the front control is selected when the entertainment system is turned on. In this way, the control mode is basically positioned at the front control, so that the operability of the front seat user is improved.

  The head unit includes an indicator that indicates whether front control or rear control is selected. The user can visually recognize the current control mode by the indicator.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the entertainment system can select a rear sound source to be played back on the rear seat side from a plurality of sound sources and control the selected sound source. A controller is provided. The head unit has a permission switch that switches between a permission state in which an operation on the rear controller is permitted and a non-permission state in which an operation on the rear controller is not permitted. In this way, audio operation from the front seat side to the rear seat side can be arbitrarily prohibited. In particular, when the rear seat user is a small child or the like, it is possible to prohibit the rear controller from being manipulated in an unauthorized manner. The permission switch can be configured integrally with the control switch.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a rear control switch is provided between the head unit and the rear controller. When the permission state is selected by the permission switch, the head unit turns on the rear control switch. When the head unit and the rear controller are connected and a non-permitted state is selected by the permission switch, the rear control switch is turned off to release the connection between the head unit and the rear controller.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the head unit disables the signal from the rear controller if the non-permission state is selected by the permission switch.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the head unit can turn on and off a rear controller that can control a selected sound source by selecting a rear sound source to be played on the rear seat side from a plurality of sound sources. A rear power switch for switching between. In response to the power of the entire entertainment system being turned off by the main power switch provided in the head unit, the power of the rear controller is also turned off. Therefore, when the user wants to hear external sounds or in an emergency, the audio functions of both the front seat and the rear seat can be stopped by simply pressing the main power switch.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the head unit includes a twin display having a front display unit that indicates the operating state of the front sound source and a rear display unit that indicates the operating state of the rear sound source. In response to the operation of the rear controller being set to non-permitted by the permission switch, a display indicating the non-permission is displayed on the rear display unit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, an entertainment system mounted on a vehicle includes a plurality of sound sources, a front speaker provided on the front seat side, a rear speaker and headphones provided on the rear seat side, and the front seat side. The front sound source connected to the front speaker and the rear speaker can be selected from a plurality of sound sources, and the rear sound source provided on the rear seat side and connected to the headphones is selected from the plurality of sound sources. A rear controller capable of If the rear controller is powered on and the selected rear sound source is the same as the selected front sound source, connect the rear speaker to the front sound source so that sound is output from both the front speaker and the rear speaker. To do. If the power source of the rear controller is on and the selected rear sound source is different from the selected front sound source, the connection of the rear speaker to the front sound source is canceled so that no sound is output from the rear speaker. In this way, when the front sound source and the rear sound source are the same, the speaker automatically switches so that you can listen to realistic sounds with the front speaker and the rear speaker, and when the front sound source and the rear sound source are different, to prevent interference between both sounds. It is done. When the connection between the rear speaker and the front sound source is released, a mark indicating the connection release is displayed on the rear display unit of the head unit.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, speaker switching is performed by turning on and off a speaker switching switch provided between the rear speaker and the front sound source.

According to the present invention, the sound source reproduced on the rear seat side can be controlled by the head unit provided on the front seat side. Therefore, when the rear seat user is unfamiliar with the audio device, the audio operation can be assisted for the rear seat user. Further, the operation of the rear controller provided on the rear seat side can be restricted by the head unit provided on the front seat side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rear seat user from operating the audio device carelessly.

System configuration overview
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows units constituting an entertainment system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The entertainment system 1 includes a head unit 2 and a rear controller 3. The head unit 2 is provided on the dashboard on the front seat side so that the front seat user can operate it (see FIG. 2A).

  By operating the head unit 2, a sound source (hereinafter referred to as a rear speaker) 11 provided on the front seat side and a speaker (hereinafter referred to as a rear speaker) 11 provided on the front seat side and a speaker (hereinafter referred to as a rear speaker) 11 provided on the rear seat side. (Referred to as “front sound source”), and an operation on the selected sound source can be executed. Further, by operating the head unit 2, a sound source (hereinafter referred to as a rear sound source) connected to the headphones 12 and 13 provided on the rear seat side is selected, and control on the selected sound source is executed. it can. The head unit 2 is equipped with an FM / AM tuner, a cassette tape player, and a CD player (all not shown).

  The rear controller 3 is provided on the vehicle ceiling of the rear seat. Alternatively, the rear controller 3 may be provided at other locations such as the center armrest of the rear seat. The rear seat user can select a rear sound source by using an operation button provided on the rear controller 3 or by using a remote controller 14 (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller), and can execute control on the selected sound source. it can. Thus, in the entertainment system 1 according to the present invention, the selection of the rear sound source and the control for the selected rear sound source can be executed not only by the rear seat side rear controller 3 but also by the front seat side head unit 2. It is configured as follows.

  At least one front speaker 10 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the front seat, and one rear speaker 11 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the rear seat.

  The headphones 12 are wired headphones (hereinafter referred to as wired headphones). The wired headphone 12 is used by connecting to the headphone terminal 8 of the external terminal unit 6. A volume button 9 that adjusts the volume of the sound output from the wired headphones 12 is provided below the headphone terminal 8, and the user in the rear seat operates from the wired headphones 12 by operating the volume button 9. The volume of the voice that is played can be adjusted.

  The headphones 13 are wireless headphones (hereinafter referred to as wireless headphones) provided with an infrared light receiving unit. The wireless headphones 13 perform infrared communication with the rear controller 3 via the infrared light receiving unit. A volume button is provided on the outer side of the portion of the wireless headphone 13 that touches the ear, and the volume of the sound output from the wireless headphone 13 can be adjusted by operating the volume button. In this embodiment, either or both of the wired headphones 12 and the wireless headphones 13 can be used to listen to the sound from the rear sound source.

  The wired headphones 12 and the wireless headphones 13 are used to prevent audio interference from both when the rear seat user enjoys a sound source different from that of the front seat user, that is, when the rear sound source is different from the front sound source. That is, when the rear sound source and the front sound source are different, no sound is output from the rear speaker 11. In this case, the rear seat user listens to the sound from the rear sound source by using the wired headphones 12 and / or the wireless headphones 13.

  The entertainment system 1 further includes a DVD player 4, a display 5, and an external input terminal unit 6. The DVD player 4 is connected to the head unit 2 and the external input terminal unit 6. The DVD player 4 is provided at the lower part of the dashboard on the front seat side (see (a) of FIG. 2). The user can operate.

  The display 5 is connected to the rear controller 3. In this embodiment, the display 5 is provided integrally with the rear controller 3 (see FIG. 2B). Alternatively, the display 5 may be provided at a different location from the rear controller 3. The display 5 displays video from these media when a DVD or AUX that outputs video is selected as a rear sound source.

  The external input terminal unit 6 is provided on the rear seat side. The external terminal unit 6 has an external input terminal 7 for connecting an external device such as a game machine and a video camera, a headphone terminal 8 for connecting the wired headphones 12 described above, and a volume button 9. The user at the rear seat connects the game machine or the video camera to the external input terminal 7 when enjoying the game or the video camera on the display 5. Audio and video signals output from the game machine and video camera are sent to the head unit 2 via the external input terminal 7 and the DVD player 4. The head unit 2 sends this audio signal to the wired headphones 12 via the headphone terminal 8. Further, the head unit 2 sends these audio and video signals to the rear controller 3. The rear controller 3 sends the received audio signal to the wireless headphones 13 and sends the received video signal to the display 5.

  Further, front seat and rear seat users can connect an external audio reproduction device such as an MD player to the external input terminal 7. An audio signal from the MD player is sent to the head unit 2 via the external input terminal 7 and the DVD player 4. When the MD is selected as the front sound source, the head unit 2 outputs the received audio signal to the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11. When the MD is selected as the rear sound source, the head unit 2 sends the received audio signal to the wired headphones 12 via the headphone terminal 8 and sends the audio signal to the rear controller 3. The rear controller 3 transmits the audio signal to the wireless headphones 13 by infrared communication.

Head unit
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation panel of the head unit 2 shown in FIG. The head unit 2 includes a volume / power switch 21, a rear power switch 22, a control switch 23, a sound source selection button 24, and a sound source operation button 25. Hereinafter, the buttons defining the control of the sound source including the sound source selection button 24 and the sound source operation button 25 may be collectively referred to as a sound source control button.

  The volume / power switch 21 has a power supply function for switching on / off the power of the entertainment system 1 and a volume function for adjusting the volume of sound output from the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11 (FIG. 1). Specifically, each time the volume / power switch 21 is pressed, the entertainment system 1 is turned on / off. Further, turning the volume / power switch 21 clockwise increases the volume, and turning it counterclockwise decreases the volume.

  The rear power switch 22 is a switch for switching on / off the power of the rear system. Here, the rear system includes a rear controller 3, a display 5, an external input terminal unit 6, and a rear control function of the head unit 2. Here, the rear control function of the head unit 2 includes, for example, a display function in the rear display unit 29. The rear power switch 22 can control the start and stop of the rear system from the front seat side. Therefore, for example, when the user on the back seat side has fallen asleep, the rear system can be stopped from the front seat side.

  Here, the relationship between the volume / power switch 21 and the rear power switch 22 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As apparent from FIG. 4, when the rear power switch 22 is turned on (ie, the rear power switch 22 is pressed) when the entertainment system 1 is turned on by the volume / power switch 21, the rear system is turned on. Can be. In other words, unless the entertainment system 1 is powered on, the rear system cannot be operated even if the rear power switch 22 is pressed.

  If the rear power switch 22 is turned off when the rear system power is on (ie, the rear power switch 22 is pressed again), the rear system power is turned off, but the entertainment system 1 remains powered on. is there. Therefore, the front sound source can be controlled by operating the head unit 2.

  When the volume / power switch 21 is pressed when the rear system is on, the entire entertainment system 1 including the rear system is turned off. In this way, for example, when it is desired to hear a sound outside the vehicle or in an emergency, the audio functions on both the front seat side and the rear seat side can be stopped by simply pressing the volume / power switch 21. .

  The control changeover switch 23 has a function of switching the front control / rear control mode and a function of switching the operation permission / non-permission state for the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14. Here, the front control indicates a control mode in which the volume adjustment by the volume switch 21 provided in the head unit 2 and the operation on the sound source selection button 24 and the sound source operation button 25 are reflected on the front sound source. The rear control indicates a control mode in which operations on the sound source selection button 24 and the sound source operation button 25 provided on the head unit 2 are reflected on the rear sound source. Thus, by switching the front control / rear control with the control changeover switch 23, it is possible to control both the front sound source and the rear sound source on the head unit 2.

  When front control is selected by the control changeover switch 23, the front indicator 26 is lit (for example, green), and when rear control is selected by the control changeover switch 23, the rear indicator 27 is lit (for example, amber color). ). In this way, it is possible to visually recognize which control mode is currently selected.

  On the other hand, when the permission state in which the operation for the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is permitted is selected by the control changeover switch 23, the rear sound source is controlled by the operation button provided on the rear controller 3 or the remote controller 14 (FIG. 1). can do. Therefore, the rear seat user can control the rear sound source.

  When the non-permitted state in which the operation with respect to the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is not permitted is selected by the control changeover switch 23, the operation button provided on the rear controller 3 and the operation by the remote controller 14 are invalidated (however, the display 5 Except for the screen adjustment function for the screen displayed on the screen.) Therefore, the rear seat user cannot control the rear sound source. In this non-permitted state, the rear sound source can be controlled only by the head unit 2. That is, the rear sound source can be controlled only by the front seat user.

  The sound source selection button 24 is a button for selecting a sound source. As described above, in this embodiment, AM / FM radio, cassette tape, CD (or CD changer (CHG)), DVD, and AUX are included as sound sources. Here, AUX indicates an external device (for example, a video camera or a game machine) connected to the external input terminal 7 of the external terminal unit 6 (FIG. 1). Since one display is provided, either DVD or AUX can be selected. When DVD or AUX is selected as the front sound source, the front seat user can enjoy only the sound from these sound sources. An AM / FM tuner, a cassette tape player, and a CD player are mounted on the main body of the head unit 2.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the head unit 2 is provided with a CD insertion slot 31 and a cassette tape insertion slot 32. When a CD is inserted into the CD insertion slot 31, even if the “CD / CHG” of the sound source selection button 24 is not pressed, the current sound source is switched to the CD. Similarly, when a cassette tape is inserted into the cassette tape insertion slot 32, the current sound source is switched to the cassette tape without pressing “TAPE” of the sound source selection button 24.

  For example, when FM radio is currently selected as the front sound source and the front control mode is set, when a CD is inserted into the CD insertion slot 31, the front sound source is switched from the radio to the CD, and CD playback is started. The Also, when FM radio is currently selected as the rear sound source and in the rear control mode, when a CD is inserted into the CD insertion slot 31, the rear sound source is switched from the radio to the CD, and CD playback is started. The

  Further, when a DVD disc is set in the DVD player 4 (FIG. 1), the rear sound source is switched to the DVD, and reproduction of the DVD is started. Since the front seat user cannot enjoy the DVD image, the rear sound source is switched to the DVD if the DVD disc is set in the DVD player 4 even in the current front control mode. Further, when the DVD disc is set in the DVD player 4 when the rear system is turned off, the rear system is turned on, the DVD is selected as the rear sound source, and DVD playback is started. . If the DVD disc is set in the DVD player 4 when the entertainment system 1 is turned off, the entertainment system 1 and the rear system are turned on simultaneously. In this case, the sound source selected before the entertainment system 1 is turned off is selected as the front sound source, and DVD is selected as the rear sound source.

  The sound source operation button 25 is a button that defines an operation for the selected sound source. The sound source operation button 25 includes preset channel buttons 33 to 38 when the AM / FM radio is selected, rewind / playback and reverse / fast forward buttons 33 to 35 when the cassette tape is selected, and the AM / FM radio. A skip button 39 for selecting a channel and searching for a song on a cassette tape or CD is included.

  When a CD changer is mounted in addition to the CD player of this embodiment, a desired disk can be selected by the disk selection buttons 37 and 38. The repeat / random button 40 is a button for performing CD repeat performance and random performance. When the TUNE button 41 is pressed, the sound quality and sound image adjustment mode is set. By turning the TUNE button 41 left and right, the channel can be manually selected. These buttons 37 to 41 are also included in the sound source operation button 25.

  The head unit 2 further includes a twin display including a front display unit 28 and a rear display unit 29. The front display unit 28 displays the type of the front sound source and the operation state of the sound source. The rear display unit 29 displays the type of the rear sound source and the operation state of the sound source. Referring now to FIG. 5, a display example of a twin display is shown. FIG. 5 shows a state where channel 2 of FM1 is selected as the front sound source and title number 1 and chapter number 27 of the DVD player are selected as the rear sound source. Thus, the user at the front seat can easily check the state of the rear sound source as well as the front sound source.

  As described above, the mark 43 displayed on the rear display unit 29 is displayed when the operation to the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is not permitted. Further, the mark 44 indicates a state where no sound is output from the rear speaker 11 (FIG. 1). Specifically, when the selected rear sound source is different from the front sound source, no sound is output from the rear speaker 11 in order to avoid interference of sound from the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11. In this case, the sound from the rear sound source is output to the headphones 12 and 13 (FIG. 1). In such a state, the mark 44 is displayed on the rear display unit 29.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the structure of the control changeover switch 23. As described above, the control changeover switch 23 has a function of switching between front / rear control and a function of switching permission / non-permission of the operation with respect to the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14. It is realized by turning the changeover switch in the left-right direction, and the latter function is realized by pressing the control changeover switch in the up-down direction.

  6A shows a front view of the control change-over switch 23, and FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of the control change-over switch 23 taken along line GG in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the control changeover switch 23 when divided along the line H-H in FIG. In a normal time when the control changeover switch 23 is not operated, the mark 51 attached to the center of the control changeover switch 23 is positioned to indicate the neutral position 52. When the control changeover switch 23 is turned clockwise by an angle θ1 or more from the neutral position 52, the self-return type volume indicated by reference numeral 55 provided on the printed circuit board 53 rotates, and a signal for switching to the rear control mode is generated. Is output. The control changeover switch 23 is provided with a stopper (not shown) so that it cannot rotate clockwise from the neutral position 52 at an angle θ2 or more.

  Similarly, when the control changeover switch 23 is turned counterclockwise by an angle | −θ1 | or more from the neutral position 52 (here, the minus sign indicates that the direction of rotation is opposite), the self-return volume 55 Rotates to output a signal for switching to the front control mode. A stopper is provided inside the control changeover switch 23 so that it cannot rotate counterclockwise beyond an angle | −θ2 |.

  The control changeover switch 23 is provided with a spring 54. When the control changeover switch 23 is turned clockwise or counterclockwise and then released from the control changeover switch 23, the control changeover switch 23 returns to the position where the mark 51 indicates the neutral position 52 by the action of the spring 54. .

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, each time the control changeover switch 23 is pressed, the protruding portion 56 is pushed out and the volume 55 is pushed. As a result, the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 are pressed. A signal for switching the permission / denial state is sent. The pushing amount of the volume 55 is indicated by reference numeral 57.

  Thus, the front control and the rear control are switched by rotating the control switch 23 to the left or right by a predetermined amount or more. Each time the control switch 23 is pressed, the permission / non-permission state of the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is changed. Can be switched.

Rear controller
FIG. 7 shows an operation panel of the rear controller 3 shown in FIG. The rear controller 3 has an infrared transmission / reception unit 61, and can communicate with the wireless headphones 13 (FIG. 1) via the infrared transmission / reception unit 61. Thus, the rear seat user can enjoy the audio without being bothered by the cord extending from the headphones.

  The rear controller 3 further includes a rear sound source selection button 62 and rear sound source operation buttons 63 to 65. The rear sound source selection button 62 is a button for selecting a rear sound source. Sound sources that can be selected include FM / AM radio, CD, cassette, DVD, and AUX, as described above. The rear sound source operation buttons 63 to 65 are buttons for defining an operation on the selected rear sound source. With the rear sound source operation button 63, operations such as selection of a preset channel of FM / AM radio, menu operation on a DVD, and cueing (tune feed / return) of a song on a cassette tape and a CD can be executed. By using the rear sound source operation button 64, a reproduction / reverse operation for the cassette tape can be executed. The rear sound source operation button 65 can be used to select items displayed on the DVD menu.

  The rear controller 3 further includes a display unit 66. The display unit 66 displays the type of the selected rear sound source and the operation state of the sound source. When the operation of the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is not permitted by the control changeover switch 23 of the head unit 2, a “CTRL OFF” mark indicated by the reference number 67 is displayed on the display unit 66. When this mark is displayed, the operation on the rear controller 3 is invalidated (however, as described above, the screen adjustment function is excluded in this embodiment). Specifically, the rear sound source cannot be controlled even if the rear sound source selection button 62 and the rear sound source operation buttons 63 to 65 are pressed. Further, the rear sound source cannot be controlled by the remote controller 14 (FIG. 1).

  Thus, for example, when a young child is in the rear seat, or when the rear seat user does not want to operate the rear controller and the remote control unnecessarily, the operation on the rear controller 3 and the remote control 14 is disabled, and the rear seat Audio operations by seat users can be prohibited.

  FIG. 8 shows the arrangement of the operation buttons of the remote controller 14 shown in FIG. The remote control 14 is provided with a rear sound source selection button 71 and rear sound source operation buttons 72 and 73. In particular, the operation buttons included in the square indicated by reference numeral 73 are buttons for operating the DVD player 4 (FIG. 1).

System connection
FIG. 9 shows a connection form of components included in the entertainment system 1 according to the present invention.

  The head unit 2 includes a control unit 80. The control unit 80 typically provides a microprocessor (MPU), a read-only memory (ROM) for storing a control program and control data, and a calculation work area for the MPU, and can randomly store various data. This is realized by a microcomputer having an access memory (RAM).

  As described above, the sound source 81 includes the FM / AM tuner 82, the cassette tape player 83, the CD player 84, and the DVD player 4 connected via the interface 85.

  For simplicity, FIG. 9 does not show other external devices. However, as described above, an external device such as a video camera or a game machine can be connected to the head unit 2 via the external terminal unit 6 (FIG. 1) and the DVD player 4. Further, an external interface for a CD changer can be provided in the head unit 2, and the CD changer can be connected to the head unit 2 via the external interface.

  The control unit 80 includes a volume / power switch 21 (hereinafter simply referred to as a volume switch or a power switch depending on its function), a rear power switch 22, a control switch 23, a sound source selection button 24, and a sound source. It is connected to the operation button 25 and receives signals inputted through these switches and buttons.

  The volume control unit 87 receives a volume signal input to the control unit 80 via the volume switch 21 from the control unit 80. The volume control unit 87 receives an audio signal from the connected front sound source, amplifies the audio signal according to the received volume signal, and outputs the amplified audio signal to the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11 via the amplifier 89.

  The rear control unit 88 receives an audio signal from the connected rear sound source, sends the audio signal to the wired headphones 12, and sends the audio signal to the rear controller 3. The rear controller 3 sends the received audio signal to the wireless headphones 13 via infrared rays.

  The rear control unit 88 receives a video signal from the connected rear sound source, and sends the video signal to the rear controller 3. The rear controller 3 outputs the received video signal to the display 5.

  A front display unit 28 and a rear display unit 29 shown in FIG. 3 are connected to the control unit 80, and these display units 28 and 29 are operated according to a control signal from the control unit 80 and the operation state of the front sound source. Displays the operating status of the rear sound source.

  A front sound source changeover switch 91 is provided between the sound source 81 and the volume control unit 87. The changeover switch 91 switches the front sound source connected to the volume control unit 87 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 80.

  A rear sound source changeover switch 92 is provided between the sound source 81 and the rear control unit 88. The changeover switch 92 switches the rear sound source connected to the rear control unit 88 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 80.

  A speaker changeover switch 93 is provided between the volume control unit 87 and the rear speaker 11. The speaker changeover switch 93 switches connection and disconnection of the rear speaker 11 to and from the volume control unit 87 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 80.

  A rear control switch 94 is provided between the control unit 80 and the rear controller 3. The rear control switch 94 switches connection and disconnection between the rear controller 3 and the control unit 80 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 80. The control unit 80 turns on the rear control switch 94 to permit the operation on the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14. On the other hand, the control unit 80 sets the operation to the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 to a disallowed state by turning off the rear control switch 94.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 9-13, the control form of the entertainment system 1 according to the Example of this invention is demonstrated.

Front and rear control
As described above, by operating the control switch 23, the front control in which the operation in the head unit 2 is reflected in the front sound source and the rear control in which the operation in the head unit 2 is reflected in the rear sound source are switched.

  FIG. 10 shows a state transition diagram of the control mode of the entertainment system 1. When the power switch 21 is pressed to turn on the entertainment system 1 and the rear power switch 22 is turned on, the entertainment system 1 enters the front control mode. When in the front control mode, if the control changeover switch 23 is rotated clockwise by a predetermined amount or more, the control mode transitions to the rear control mode.

  When the control changeover switch 23 is rotated counterclockwise by a predetermined amount or more in the rear control mode, the mode is changed to the front control mode. Alternatively, in the rear control mode, when the operation on the head unit 2 is not performed for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) or longer, the mode automatically shifts to the front control mode.

  When the rear power switch 22 is pressed in the front control mode or the rear control mode, the power of the rear system is turned off. When the power switch 21 is pressed in the front control mode or the rear control mode, the entire entertainment system 1 is turned off.

  Thus, since the control mode is basically positioned in the front control mode, the operability for the front seat user is improved.

  With reference to FIG. 9 again, operations in the front control mode and the rear control mode will be described. First, the operation in the front control mode will be described.

  The front control mode is selected by the control switch 23 when the entertainment system 1 is turned on and the rear system is turned on, or when the entertainment system 1 and the rear system are turned on. When this is done, the control unit 80 sets the front control flag and enters the front control mode. The control unit 80 lights the front indicator 26 (FIG. 3) of the head unit 2. This indicates to the front seat user that the front control mode is currently selected.

  When the front control mode is entered when the entertainment system 1 and the rear system are turned on, it is possible to arbitrarily determine which sound source the front sound source changeover switch 91 is connected to. For example, the sound source that was selected when the entertainment system 1 was last turned off is stored in the memory of the control unit 80, and is stored in the memory when the entertainment system 1 is turned on again. The front sound source changeover switch 91 is switched so as to connect to the selected sound source.

  Further, when the front control mode is entered by turning on the power of the entertainment system 1 and the rear system, it is possible to arbitrarily determine which sound source switch 92 is connected to which sound source. For example, in one embodiment, the sound source that was selected when the rear system was last turned off is selected. In another embodiment, the same sound source as the front sound source selected when the rear system is powered on is selected. The selection may be performed by the control unit 80 or the rear controller 3. In the latter case, the control unit 80 receives a control signal indicating the type of sound source selected by the rear controller 3 from the rear controller 3, and switches the rear sound source changeover switch 92 according to the received control signal.

  When the signal input via the sound source selection button 24 is received after entering the front control mode, the control unit 80 switches the front sound source changeover switch 91 according to the received signal. Further, after receiving the signal input via the sound source operation button 25 after entering the front control mode, the control unit 80 sends the received signal to the connected front sound source via the front sound source changeover switch 91. Send it out. Further, the control unit 80 receives the volume signal input via the volume switch 21 and sends the signal to the volume control unit 87. The volume control unit 87 adjusts the volume of the sound output from the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11 according to the received volume signal. Thus, the audio signal from the front sound source is output to the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11.

  Further, after the front control mode is entered, when the rear sound source is switched by the sound source selection button 62 (FIG. 7) of the rear controller 3 or the sound source selection button 71 of the remote controller 14, the rear controller 3 switches to the control unit 80. A control signal indicating the selected sound source is transmitted. The control unit 80 switches the rear sound source changeover switch 92 according to the received control signal. When the rear sound source is operated by the sound source operation buttons 63 to 65 of the rear controller 3 or the sound source operation buttons 72 and 73 of the remote controller 14, a control signal indicating the sound source operation is sent from the rear controller 3 to the control unit 80. The control unit 80 sends the received control signal to the rear sound source via the rear sound source changeover switch 92. Thus, the audio signal from the rear sound source is sent to the wired headphones 12 and the wireless headphones 13 via the rear controller 88. Further, the video signal from the rear sound source is sent to the display 5 via the rear control unit 88.

  When a DVD disc is inserted into the DVD player 4 in the front control mode, the control unit 80 connects the rear sound source changeover switch 92 to the external interface 85 connected to the DVD player 4. Since the entertainment system 1 remains in the front control mode, the signal input via the sound source selection button 24 and the sound source operation button 25 is reflected on the front sound source unless the control changeover switch 23 switches to the rear control mode. The Alternatively, the control mode may be switched to the rear control mode in response to the DVD disc being inserted into the DVD player.

  Next, the rear control mode will be described. If the control changeover switch 23 is rotated by a predetermined amount or more clockwise in the front control mode, the control unit 80 resets the front control flag and sets the rear control flag to shift to the rear control mode. . The control unit 80 turns off the indicator 26 of the head unit 2 and turns on the indicator 27 to indicate that it is currently in the rear control mode.

  When the signal input via the sound source selection button 24 of the head unit 2 is received after entering the rear control mode, the control unit 80 switches the rear sound source changeover switch 92 according to the received signal. Further, after entering the rear control mode, upon receiving a signal input via the sound source operation button 25 of the head unit 2, the control unit 80 sends the received signal to the rear sound source via the rear sound source changeover switch 92. Send to. Thus, the rear sound source can be controlled by the head unit 2 when in the rear control mode.

  Although details will be described later, in both the front and rear control modes, the speaker changeover switch 93 is controlled to be turned on / off by the control unit 80 according to whether the front sound source and the rear sound source are the same. In any of the front and rear control modes, the rear control switch 94 is controlled by the control unit 80 according to whether the operation of the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 is permitted or not permitted by the control changeover switch 23. ON / OFF is controlled.

  As described above with reference to FIG. 10, if no operation is performed on the head unit 2 for a predetermined time after entering the rear control mode, the mode automatically shifts to the front control mode. With reference to FIG. 11, the front return control executed by the control unit 80 will be described. FIG. 11 is executed every predetermined time (for example, 100 milliseconds).

  In step 101, it is determined whether a signal indicating that the rear control has been selected is received via the control changeover switch 23. When a signal indicating that the rear control is selected is received, a value 1 is set in the rear control flag (102). Proceeding to step 103, the rear control timer is started. The rear control timer is a down timer in which a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) is set.

  If the signal indicating that the rear control is selected is not received in step 101, the value of the rear control flag is checked (104). If the value of the rear control flag is not 1, it indicates the current front control mode. Therefore, this routine is left as it is. If the value of the rear control flag is 1 in step 104, it indicates that the current rear control mode is set.

  Proceeding to step 105, it is determined whether an operation has been performed on the head unit 2. For example, it is determined whether a signal is received via the sound source selection button 24 and the sound source operation button 25. If any signal is received, the rear control timer is restarted (106), and this routine is exited. If no signal is received, it indicates that no operation has been performed in the head unit 2.

  Proceeding to step 107, it is determined whether the value of the rear control timer is zero. If zero, it indicates that no operation is performed on the rear sound source on the head unit 2 for a predetermined time. Proceeding to step 108, the rear control flag is reset to zero, the value 1 is set in the front control flag, and the rear control mode is changed to the front control mode. If the value of the rear control timer is not zero in step 107, this routine is exited as it is.

  In this way, the rear sound source can be controlled by the head unit provided on the front seat side, so if a young child or a person unfamiliar with the device gets on the rear seat, the rear controller or remote control can be operated. Can assist from the side. In addition, since the driver who is the owner of the vehicle is generally familiar with the operation of the entertainment system, the rear sound source can be operated in the front seat for users who are not accustomed to the rear seat.

Rear controller and remote control operation restriction function
As described above, the operation on the rear controller 3 and the remote controller 14 can be restricted by pressing the control changeover switch 23. FIG. 12 shows a state transition diagram of the rear controller 3. When the rear power switch 22 is pressed while the rear system power is off, the rear system power is turned on. At this time, the rear controller 3 enters a permission state in which an operation on the rear controller 3 is permitted. If the control changeover switch 23 is pressed while the rear controller 3 is in the permitted state, the state changes from the permitted state to the non-permitted state. If the control changeover switch 23 is pressed while the rear controller 3 is in the non-permitted state, the state changes from the non-permitted state to the permitted state. Thus, every time the control switch 23 is pressed, the permission / non-permission state is switched.

  Alternatively, the state (permitted or not permitted) when the rear system was last turned off is stored, and when the rear system is turned on, the stored state is restored. Also good.

  With reference to FIG. 9, the switching operation of the permission / non-permission state will be described. In response to the power switch 21 being pressed, the entertainment system 1 is turned on. Thereafter, when the rear power switch 22 is pressed, the control unit 80 turns on the rear control switch 94 and sends a control signal for turning on the power of the rear system to the rear controller 3. As a result, the rear system is turned on. Specifically, the power supplies of the rear controller 3, the display 5, and the external input terminal unit 6 are turned on. The rear controller 3 selects a rear sound source, and sends a control signal indicating the selected sound source to the control unit 80 via the rear control switch 94. The control unit 80 switches the rear sound source changeover switch 92 according to the control signal received from the rear controller 3. The control unit 80 displays the state of the rear sound source on the rear display unit 29 of the head unit 2. As described above, which sound source is selected when the power of the rear system is turned on can be arbitrarily determined.

  When the power of the rear system is turned on, the rear controller 3 enters a permission state. When a rear sound source selection button 62 and rear sound source operation buttons 63 to 65 (FIG. 7) provided on the rear controller 3 are operated, signals input via these buttons are transmitted from the rear controller 3 to a rear control switch. 94 to the control unit 80. The control unit 80 sends the received signal to the rear sound source via the rear sound source changeover switch 92. Thus, the operation on the rear controller 3 is reflected on the rear sound source.

  When the control changeover switch 23 is pressed in the permitted state, the control unit 80 sends a control signal notifying the rear controller 3 that the non-permitted state is entered, and then turns off the rear control switch 94. As a result, the rear controller 3 enters a non-permitted state. The control unit 80 displays a mark 43 (FIG. 3) indicating that rear operation is being restricted on the rear display unit 29 of the head unit 2. When the rear controller 3 receives the control signal notifying that the non-permission state is entered, the rear controller 3 displays a “CTL OFF” mark 67 on the display unit 66 (FIG. 7) of the rear controller 3.

  Since the communication between the control unit 80 and the rear controller 3 is disconnected when in the non-permitted state, the control unit 80 cannot receive a control signal sent from the rear controller 3 by an operation on the rear controller 3. Thus, the operation on the rear controller 3 is invalidated.

  In this way, since the right of control of the rear sound source can be monopolized by the front seat user, for example, the rear controller can be prevented from being inadvertently operated or erroneously operated by a child or an unfamiliar user.

  When the control changeover switch 23 is pressed again in the non-permitted state, the control unit 80 turns on the rear control switch 94 and sends a control signal notifying the rear controller 3 that the permitted state is entered. The control unit 80 erases the display of the mark 43 from the rear display unit 29, and the rear controller 3 erases the display of the mark 67 from the display unit 66.

  Alternatively, a rear operation restriction flag indicating that a signal from the rear controller 3 is not accepted when entering the non-permission state may be set. If the signal from the rear controller 3 is received while the rear operation restriction flag is set, the control unit 80 invalidates (that is, discards) the signal. In this case, the rear control switch 94 may not be provided. When transitioning to the permission state, the rear operation restriction flag is reset.

Speaker switching function
Next, the switching function of the rear speaker 11 will be described. FIG. 13 shows a state transition diagram of the speaker. When the power source of the entertainment system 1 is turned on by pressing the power switch 21, the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11 are connected to the front sound source, and a four-speaker state is set. When in the 4-speaker state, the sound of the front sound source is output from both the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11.

  When the rear system power is turned on by the rear power switch 22 in the four-speaker state and the sound source selected as the rear sound source is the same as the front sound source, the state does not change and the four-speaker state is maintained. .

  In this embodiment, the sound of the rear sound source is output from the headphones 12 and 13 in response to the rear power switch 22 being pressed to turn on the rear system. That is, the sound of the rear sound source is output to the headphones 12 and 13 even in the 4-speaker state. Alternatively, sound may not be output from the headphones 12 and 13 when in the 4-speaker state.

  When the rear power switch 22 is pressed to turn on the rear system and the sound source selected as the rear sound source is different from the front sound source in the four-speaker state, the two rear speakers 11 are disconnected and Transition to the two-speaker state in which only the front speaker 10 is connected to the front sound source. The sound of the rear sound source is output to the headphones 12 and 13.

  When the front sound source and the rear sound source are the same in the 4-speaker state, another sound source is selected as the front sound source or the rear sound source by the sound source selection button 24 of the head unit 2, or the rear controller 3 or the remote controller When another sound source is selected as the rear sound source by the 14 sound source selection buttons 62 and 71, the front sound source and the rear sound source are different. In this case, the state transitions to the two-speaker state in response to pressing of these sound source selection buttons.

  On the other hand, when the sound source selection buttons of the head unit 2, the rear controller 3 or the remote controller 14 are operated because the two sound sources are the same as the front sound source and the rear sound source, the two rear speakers 11 again return to the front sound source. To the 4-speaker state. Further, when the rear power switch 22 is pressed and the power of the rear system is turned off in the 2-speaker state, the state changes to the 4-speaker state.

  Switching between the 4-speaker state and the 2-speaker state can also be performed manually. When in the 4-speaker state, the rear-power switch 22 is pressed for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) or longer to transition to the 2-speaker state. Further, when in the 2-speaker state, the rear power switch 22 is pressed for the predetermined time or longer to make a transition to the 4-speaker state.

  When the front sound source and the rear sound source are different sound sources, it is preferable that the speaker state is not switched even if the manual operation is performed. Otherwise, when the 4-speaker state is selected, interference occurs between the sound output from the front speaker 10 and the sound output from the rear speaker 11.

  The operation of the speaker switching function will be described with reference to FIG. When the power switch 21 of the head unit 2 is pushed, the entertainment system 1 is turned on. The control unit 80 connects the front sound source changeover switch 91 to a predetermined sound source, turns on the speaker changeover switch 93, and connects the rear speaker 11 to the front sound source. As described above, the predetermined sound source can be arbitrarily determined. Thus, the sound from the selected front sound source is output from both the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11. The control unit 80 displays the selected sound source type and the operation state of the sound source on the front display unit 28.

  Next, in response to the pressing of the rear power switch 22, the control unit 80 turns on the power of the rear system and receives a control signal indicating the selected sound source from the rear controller 3. As described above, the selection of the sound source when the power source of the rear system is turned on can be arbitrarily determined.

  The control unit 80 compares the sound source selected as the rear sound source with the sound source currently selected as the front sound source. If both sound sources are the same, the control unit 80 connects the rear sound source changeover switch 92 to the same sound source as the front sound source without turning off the speaker changeover switch 93. From the front speaker 10 and the rear speaker 11, the sound from the sound source selected as the front sound source is output. The headphones 12 and 13 output the sound from the sound source selected as the rear sound source (that is, the same sound as the speakers 10 and 11 is output). The control unit 80 displays the type of the sound source selected as the rear sound source and the operation state of the sound source on the rear display unit 29. In this case, the same operation state of the same sound source is displayed on the front display unit 28 and the rear display unit 29.

  On the other hand, if the front sound source and the rear sound source are different, the control unit 80 turns off the speaker changeover switch 93 and connects the rear sound source changeover switch 92 to the sound source selected as the rear sound source. Thus, since the rear speaker 11 is separated from the front sound source, the sound from the front sound source is output only from the front speaker 10. Sound from the rear sound source is output from the headphones 12 and 13. The control unit 80 displays the type of the sound source selected as the rear sound source and the operation state of the sound source on the rear display unit 29. Further, the control unit 80 displays a mark 44 (see FIG. 3) indicating that the rear speaker 11 is in the off state on the rear display unit 29 of the head unit 2.

  The comparison between the front sound source and the rear sound source is performed every time either the front sound source or the rear sound source is switched. Specifically, it is executed whenever the sound source selection button 24 of the head unit 2, the sound source selection button 62 of the rear controller 3, or the sound source selection button 71 of the remote controller 14 is operated. In addition, when a medium such as a CD disk, a cassette tape, or a DVD disk is inserted into the player, or when these media are ejected from the player, the front sound source and the rear sound source are switched. There is. Even when such switching is performed, the front sound source and the rear sound source are compared. Based on the comparison result, the control unit 80 switches the speaker switch 93 on / off.

  Thus, the speakers are automatically switched according to the selection of the front sound source and the rear sound source, so that a more comfortable audio environment can be enjoyed. When the front sound source and the rear sound source are the same, a 4-speaker environment is automatically set, and all passengers can listen to the sound full of realism. Further, when the front sound source and the rear sound source are different, a two-speaker environment is automatically set, and interference between the sound from the front sound source and the sound from the rear sound source can be prevented.

The block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the system configuration | structure of an entertainment system in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the head unit, rear controller, and DVD player in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the operation panel of the head unit in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the relationship between the power supply of a head unit and a rear system in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of the twin display of a head unit in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the control change switch in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the operation panel of the rear controller in one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the remote controller in one Example of this invention. The block diagram which shows the connection form of an entertainment system in one Example of this invention. The state transition diagram of the front control mode and the rear control mode in one Example of this invention. The flowchart which shows the process which returns from the rear control mode to the front control mode in one Example of this invention. The state transition diagram of the operation permission state and non-permission state with respect to the rear controller in one Example of this invention. The state transition diagram of 4 speaker state and 2 speaker state in one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Entertainment system 2 Head unit 3 Rear controller 10 Front speaker 11 Rear speaker 21 Volume / power switch 22 Rear power switch 23 Control change switch

Claims (8)

Multiple sound sources,
A front speaker provided on the front seat side;
A rear speaker and headphones provided on the rear seat side;
A head unit provided on the front seat side and capable of selecting a front sound source connected to the front speaker and the rear speaker from the plurality of sound sources;
A rear controller provided on a rear seat side and capable of selecting a rear sound source connected to the headphones from the plurality of sound sources;
If the rear controller is powered on and the selected rear sound source is the same as the selected front sound source, the rear speaker is set so that sound is output from both the front speaker and the rear speaker. Connect to the front sound source,
If the rear controller is powered on and the selected rear sound source is different from the selected front sound source, connect the rear speaker to the front sound source so that no sound is output from the rear speaker. To release,
Entertainment system mounted on the vehicle. A speaker switching switch is provided between the rear speaker and the front sound source,
The entertainment system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for switching connection and disconnection between the rear speaker and the front sound source by turning on and off the speaker switching switch. The entertainment system of claim 1, wherein the rear speaker is connected to the selected front sound source when the rear controller is powered off. The entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein sound from the rear sound source is output to the headphones in response to powering on of the rear controller. The head unit further includes a rear display unit that displays an operation state of the rear sound source, and in response to the connection between the rear speaker and the front sound source being released, The entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein a mark indicating that the rear speaker is disconnected is displayed. In response to insertion of a sound source medium of the plurality of sound sources into the sound source player, or in response to removal of the medium from the sound source player, the front sound source and rear sound source The entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the sound source is switched. The entertainment system according to claim 1, wherein the head unit further includes a manual speaker switching switch that manually switches connection and disconnection between the front sound source and the rear speaker. The head unit further includes a rear power switch for switching on and off the power of the rear controller, and the manual speaker switching switch is configured integrally with the rear power switch. Entertainment system.

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