GB2254676A

GB2254676A - Vehicle equipment control system

Info

Publication number: GB2254676A
Application number: GB9122310A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Carpenter
Original assignee: NORCALL Ltd
Current assignee: NORCALL Ltd
Priority date: 1990-10-19
Filing date: 1991-10-21
Publication date: 1992-10-14
Also published as: GB9122310D0

Abstract

A system for controlling vehicle equipment such as mobile radio, warning lights, sirens etc. minimises the need for the driver to remove his hand from the steering wheel by positioning the switches (PTT, A, D) on the steering wheel (SW) and connecting them to switches (RL) on the equipment itself via an infrared link. The steering wheel switch may comprise two speed conductors embedded within the wheel rim and arranged to make contact when the rim is squeezed. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE EQUIPMENT CONTROL SYSTEM The present inventIon relates to a control system fo operating vehice equipment such as a mobile rio, a siren, for emergency service vehicles, lighting equipment or the like.

The known mobile radios included a handset microphone having a push-button on one side which must be depressed in order for the caller to be able to talk.

the radio S being used by the driver of a vehicle while he is 1n notion the drier must remove his hand from the steering wheel in order to use the handset, which in the UK contravenes the Highway Code.

Likewise, sirens provided on emergency service vehicles have to be operated by switch means, usually by the drIver removing a hand from the steering wheel.

It would be advantageous to provide a control system which avoid this problem.

The present invention provides a control system for operating vehicle equipment including switch means to be incorporated in or positioned on or near to the steering wheel of the vehicle so as to be operable by the driver without having to remove a hand from the steering wheel, an electro-magnetic signal sending means connected to the switch means at or, near the steering wheel, electrc-magnetic signal receiving means to be fixed to part of the vehicle at a position spaced from the steering wheel and operating means having an input @ connected to the receiving means and an output connected to the equipment for operating the equipment in response to a signal from the receiving means.

By using electromagnetic radiation, the present invention avoids the eed for wires between the steering wheel and, e.g. the steering column, which could become fouled as the wheel is turned. Preferably intra-red radiation is used.

The control system of the invention may be used to control a mobile radio fcr example, the operating means being operable to Switch the radio t "talk mcde" whereby speech signals are transmitted.

Thus, In one embodinent of the invention, the switch means include a switch ror operating a mobile radio.

The operating means then preferably operate to connect a microphone to a radio.

Additionally or alternatively, the control system of ne invention may control one or more other items of vehicle equIpment suc as a siren or a warning light.

The control system of the invention is particularly suitable for "add-on" vehicle equipment of the type described above t it may be used to control "standard" equipment such as night lights, indicators, windscreen wipers and so on, so as to minimise the need for the driver to remove his or her grip from the steering wheel.

The switch means may include a switch in the form of two spaced apart conductive, e.g metallic contacts embedded In the rim of the steering wheel and arranged so that when the driver squeezes the rim contact is made.

The switch means may also include one or more push-button switches depending on the number of items of equipment to be controlled possibly in addition to the "rim" switch mentioned above. The switches may be mounted on the hub or rim of the steering wheel For certain applications cf the invention it would be advantageous to avoid the need to modify the steering wheel itself. In such cases the switch means could be provided in the form of a self-containea unit to be mounted on the hub of the steering wheel, for example, and having the appropriate number of switches for the number of items of equipment to be controlled.

Certain embodiment of the Invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic block diagram of a first embodiment of a control system according to this invention ; Figure 2 is a cross-section through the rim of a steering wheel of the system of Figure 1; and FIGURE 3 is a schematic block diagram of a second system according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a system according to the invention connected In circut with a mobile radio receiver MRI. The system comprises a steerIng wheel SW having a hub H and a rim R. As best shown in Figure 2 the rim R comprises an innermost steel core C surrounded by a resilient plastics covering sL. Two contacts CRl,CR2 are embedded within the plastics covering PL. Contract CR1 comprises a thin dished metallic, e.g. copper, ring.A second similar ring 2 is slightly spaced apart from the first ring CR1 and includes small projections P on the side facing contact CR1. Each contact CR1, CR2 is connected by short wires W to a selfcontained infra-red sender IRS of known type powered by a battery B. Although as shown schematically in Figure l the wires and sender IRS are external to the wheel they are preferably located within the hub H of the wheel SW, and move with the wheel, to avoid the possibility of the wires being fouled as the' wheel is turned.

An infra-red signal receiver IRS is arranged to be mounted on a static part of the vehicle, e.g. the steering column (not shown) within line of slight of the sender IRS.

The infra-red receiver IRR is connected to an electro-mechanical relay RL which is in circuit between microphone NC and the mobile radio NPI. The microphone may be f fixed to a part of the vehicle adjacent the mouth of the driver, e.g. the windscreen pillar.

In use, when the driver of the vehicle wishes to talk into the microphone, he merely has to squeeze the rim R slightly. This causes the projections P on contact CR2 to make an electrical connection with contact CR1 which thereby causes an infra-red signal to b se= from the infra-red sender IRS to the infra-red receiver IRR. This in turn causes the relay WI to close, thereby connecting the microphone 1M.C to the mobile radio MRI. The driver may then talk into the microphene MC. The drivet then has to release his grip slightly and the Connection is broken so that he can listen to tbe other caller.When he wishes to talk again he merely squeezes the rim R slightly again.

This operation may be done without the driver having to remove his hands from the steering wheel which is much safer than holding a separate handset The embodiment of the invention described above may be modified in various ways. For example, the two contacts CR1, CR2 may be replaced by, e.g a push-button disposed on the hub E o on the rim R, but arranged so that the button may h depressed without the driver removing his hands from the wheel SW.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 3. Like parts in Figures l and 3 are indicated with like references.

The embodiment of Figure 3 differs from that of Figures 1 and 2 in that it uses different switching means and in that it is operable to control several items of vehicle equipment, one of which is a mobile telephone.

Thus, the switch means of Figure 3 includes several separate switches. These include a push-button "push-to-talk" switch PTT mounted on one of the spokes of the steering wheel, an array A of switches in the centre cf the steering wheel on the hub H and an additional switch D.

The switches PTT, A and D are connected to the inf ra-red sender IRS. In Figure 3 the infra-red sender is illustrated as a separate item from the switch array A, for clarity. In practice the switch array A and the sender IRS may be an integral unit mounted on the steering wheel, the switches being directly connected to the sender IRS circuit. Upon operation of any of the switches, the sender IRS transmits a signal, suitabiy coded with information as to which switch has been operated. (With only one switch as n Figure i, encoding of the signal is unnecessary.) The coding of infra-red signals is well known in the art and wil not be described in detail herein.

The infra-red receiver IRS receives signals from the sender IRS and decodes them, and then operates a relay connected thereto according to which switch was operated.

For example, if PTT switch is operated, relay RLl will be closed to connect the microphone MO to the mobile radio MRI.

Further relays RL2 and RL3 are provided to operate other items of equipment. For example relay RLl may complete a lighting circuit when ciosed so that a vehicle warning light turns on. Similarly EL3 may operate a siren.

The relays RL2 and RL3 may hae latched outputs for connection to electronic circuitry controlling the respective equipment.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A control system for operating vehicle equipment including switch means to he incorporated in or pcsitioned on or near to the steering wheel of the vehicle so as to be operable by the driver without having to remove a hand from the steering wheel, an enectro-magnetic signal sending means connected to the switch means at or near the steering wheel, electro-magnetlc signal receiving means to be fixed to part of the vehicle t a position spaced from the steeping wheel and operating means having an input connected to the receiving means and an output connected to the equipment for operating the equipment in response to a signal ron the receiving means.

^. A contrcl system as claimed in claim i, in which the switch means include a switch for operating a mobile radio.

z. A control system as claimed in claim 2, in whicn the operating means operate to connect a microphone to the mobile radio.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, in which the switch means include a switch for operating a siren.

5. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the switch mans include a switch for operating a warning light.

6. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the switch means include a switch for operating the vehicle's night lights.

7. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the operating means include a relay for the or each item of equipment.

8. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the electromagnetic signals are inf ra-red signals.

9. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the switch means include one or more push- button switches mounted on the steering wheel.

10. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the switch means comprise one or more switches contained in a unit to be mounted on the steering wheel

11. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim in which the switch means include z switch in the form of two spaced apart conductive contacts embedded within the rim o; the steering wheel arranged to m ke an electrical connection when the rim is squeezed.

12. A control system substantially as hereinbafore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A control system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of tSe accompanying drawings.