JP2006015936A - Audio-visual system for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple and high-quality audio-visual system not causing interference or jamming in an automobile 12. <P>SOLUTION: This system comprises an infrared radiator 16 emitting a plurality of infrared beams having respective predetermined directivities and independently controlled, displays 58, 60 fixed in a compartment of the automobile 12, and a headphone 20 for an occupant 66. The infrared radiator 16 is equipped with a group of light-emitting diodes emitting a first infrared beam 24 for transmitting image signals to the displays. The infrared radiator 16 is further equipped with a group of light-emitting diodes emitting a second infrared beam 30 for transmitting audio signals to the headphone 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an audiovisual system for automobiles that is used for applications in which passengers individually view music and videos in an automobile.

It has been conventionally known that there is a communication device for an infrared voice transmission system (wireless listening system) using infrared rays. The infrared audio transmission system is advantageous in that it is not affected by external radio waves, has no variation in sound quality depending on the listening position, and is extremely less affected by noise. In addition, the existence of an infrared radiator that is used to transmit voice on infrared light in such a communication device has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
For example, a television display is installed in a passenger plane seat so that passengers can individually enjoy movies and music. Each passenger freely selects a favorite channel and selects an image to be displayed, and wears headphones to listen to the sound. In order to realize such a system, a passenger harness for wiring to a display or a headphone is incorporated in a passenger aircraft seat in advance. Such passenger services are also used for sightseeing buses.
JP-A-9-116195

Here, the conventional audiovisual system for automobiles has the following problems to be solved.
A car navigation system widely used in passenger cars has a function of reproducing a DVD. Using this function, it is possible to equip wagon type passenger cars and large passenger cars with a system for enjoying movies and music similar to passenger aircraft. However, in order to incorporate a wiring harness such as a passenger aircraft into a passenger car seat, a significant change in the automobile production line is required. Moreover, since the number of parts of an automobile also increases, there is a problem that the cost increases remarkably. In addition, as with car navigation systems, users often add additional equipment to non-equipped vehicles after purchasing a car, making it difficult to attach a connection cord to a display or headphones and making it look bad. .

In order to solve this, a cordless connection using a radio wave adopted in a wireless LAN (local area network) or the like is also conceivable. However, wireless LAN is susceptible to noise interference from automobiles. In addition, there is a risk of interference when cars are parked next to each other or running in parallel with other cars.
The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and provides an audiovisual system for an automobile that can use a display and headphones cordlessly by using an infrared radiator having a predetermined directivity. For the purpose.

In each embodiment of the present invention, the above-described problems are solved by the following configurations.
<Configuration 1>
An infrared radiator for transmitting a plurality of infrared beams each having a predetermined directivity and independently controlled in a vehicle interior, a display fixed in the vehicle interior, and a headphone for passengers, the infrared radiator Includes a first light emitting unit for transmitting a first infrared beam for transmitting an image signal to the display, and a second light emitting unit for transmitting a second infrared beam for transmitting an audio signal to the headphones. An audiovisual system for automobiles characterized by comprising:

<Configuration 2>
The audiovisual system for automobiles according to Configuration 1, wherein the infrared radiator is disposed in the vicinity of the center line of the car so that the front seat direction and the rear seat direction of the automobile can be seen.

  If an infrared radiator is placed near the center line of the car that divides the car interior vertically into left and right, a highly directional infrared beam can be sent directly in the intended direction, and reflection of the walls in the car interior Control to use becomes easy.

<Configuration 3>
The audiovisual system for automobiles according to Configuration 1, wherein the infrared radiator is disposed on a console box sandwiched between a driver seat and a passenger seat of the automobile.

  On the console box, it is easy to attach the infrared radiator, and it is optimal for transmitting an infrared beam having a directivity in terms of position.

<Configuration 4>
In the automotive audiovisual system according to Configuration 1, the first light emitting unit provided in the infrared radiator includes a first group and a second group of light emitting diode groups, and the second light emitting unit includes It consists of three groups and a light emitting diode group of the fourth group, the first group sends infrared rays in the display direction on the back of the driver's seat, the second group sends infrared rays in the display direction on the back of the passenger seat, The third group transmits infrared rays toward the rear seat, and the fourth group transmits infrared rays toward the front panel in which an instrument panel or the like in front of the front seat is arranged. .

A group of light emitting diodes each sending a directional infrared beam was provided. The first group and the second group transmit an infrared beam dedicated to the display. The third group of infrared rays is sent directly toward the passenger's headphones in the rear seat. On the other hand, the infrared rays of the fourth group are reflected by the front panel and the wall surface in the vehicle and transmitted to each part in the vehicle.

<Configuration 5>
In the audiovisual system for automobiles according to Configuration 1, the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit provided in the infrared radiator are located at a position lower than a lower edge line of the window of the automobile or on the window. An audiovisual system for automobiles, which is arranged at a position higher than the edge line.

  If the first light emitting part or the second light emitting part is placed at a position lower than the line at the lower edge of the window or higher than the line at the upper edge of the window, a strong infrared beam is directly transmitted to the next car through the window. There is little possibility of jumping in. The intensity of the infrared beam that is reflected several times in the vehicle and passes through the window is sufficiently reduced, so that the harmful effect is small even if it is emitted to the outside.

<Configuration 6>
The audiovisual system for automobiles according to Configuration 1, wherein the light emitting part of the infrared radiator is attached to the upper edge of the bottle folder of the console box.

  You cannot place objects on the top edge of the bottle folder. This prevented an object from being placed on the light emitting part of the infrared radiator.

<Configuration 7>
In the automotive audiovisual system according to Configuration 1, the light receiver for display is disposed under a seat, the light receiver for display is connected to the display using an extension cord, and the first light emitting unit is connected to the seat. An audiovisual system for automobiles, which emits an infrared beam toward a lower display light receiver.

The display will not work if an object is placed between the infrared radiator and the display.
Therefore, the problem is solved by extending the display light receiver to the under-seat with an extension cord and transmitting an infrared beam toward the under-seat.

<Configuration 8>
The audiovisual system for automobiles according to Configuration 1, wherein the audio signal light emitting section provided in the infrared radiator transmits infrared rays toward the ceiling of the automobile.

  All sound signal beams are ceiling-reflective, and can transmit sound signals to the entire range of the vehicle while minimizing interference with other devices.

  In the present invention, an audio signal and an image signal are individually transmitted using a plurality of infrared beams each having a predetermined directivity and independently controlled in the interior of an automobile. An infrared radiator that transmits such an infrared beam is installed in the interior of an automobile. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail for each example.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automobile using the audiovisual system for automobiles according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an internal circuit of the infrared radiator. The explanation will be made with reference to both figures.
The interior of the automobile 12 is provided with an infrared radiator 16 for transmitting a plurality of infrared beams each having a predetermined directivity and independently controlled, a display fixed in the interior of the automobile 12, and a headphone 20 for passengers. It has been. The display comprises a display 58 on the back of the driver's seat and a display 60 on the back of the passenger seat. The infrared radiator 16 is, for example, a first light emitting unit 26 that transmits a first infrared beam 24 for transmitting an image signal 22 to the display from the DVD device 21 shown in FIG. And a second light emitting unit 32 for sending out a second infrared beam 30 for transmitting.

  In this embodiment, the automobile 12 is a passenger car. Suitable for wagon type vehicles. The infrared radiator 16 may be arranged in a console box on the driver's elbow or an overhead console provided on the ceiling of the automobile. Any number of displays may be fixed in accordance with the number of passengers. Various devices such as a car audio or a DVD device for a car navigation system can be used as a device for supplying an audio signal and an image signal. In this embodiment, the image signal 22 output from the DVD device 21 is converted into an infrared beam by the first light emitting unit 26 and transmitted. In addition, the audio signal 28 is converted into an infrared beam by the second light emitting unit 32 and transmitted. Such electro-optical conversion technology and technology for placing a signal on an infrared beam use existing ones. Therefore, further detailed description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when viewed from above the automobile, the infrared radiator 16 is disposed in the vicinity of the center line 40 of the car so that the front seat 36 direction and the rear seat 38 direction of the automobile 12 can be seen. When the infrared radiator 16 is arranged in the vicinity of the center line 40 of the car that divides the interior of the automobile 12 into the left and right in the vertical direction, the display 58 on the back of the driver's seat 42 and the display 60 on the back of the passenger's seat 44 have arrows in the figure. As shown in FIG. 1, the first infrared beam 24 can be transmitted directly from the infrared radiator 16. Since the distance is short, weak power is sufficient. On the other hand, the second infrared beam 30 is a beam of sufficient power so that it can be reflected and reached using the wall surface 68 in the interior of the automobile even if the passenger 66 moves back and forth and left and right. In this embodiment, the infrared radiator 16 is disposed on the console box 46 sandwiched between the driver seat 42 and the passenger seat 44 of the automobile 12.

  For the transmission of the image signal 22, for example, infrared of 12 MHz is used. The headphone 20 is sent with a relatively large power and wide spread infrared beam so that it can be received well even if the passenger 66 moves around. Accordingly, even a portion reflected several times in each part of the vehicle can be received sufficiently. Headphones require two channels, right and left, in stereo. For this reason, the first CH uses 2.3 MHz and the second CH uses 2.8 MHz as the modulation frequency.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first light emitting unit includes a light emitting diode group including a first group 48 and a second group 50. Specifically, for each group, about 5 to 10 light emitting diodes are arranged with their infrared radiation directions aligned. Similarly, the second light emitting unit includes a light emitting diode group including a third group 54 and a fourth group 56. The first group 48 transmits infrared rays toward the display 58 on the back of the driver's seat 42. The second group 50 transmits infrared rays in the direction of the display 60 behind the passenger seat 44. The third group 54 transmits infrared rays toward the rear seat 38. The fourth group 56 transmits infrared rays toward the front panel 64 where the instrument panel 62 and the like in front of the front seat 36 are arranged.

  The displays 58 and 60 are preferably fixed one by one at a position that is easy to see from the rear seats on the back of the driver seat 42 and the back of the passenger seat 44. The fixed position and number of displays can be arbitrarily changed according to the structure of the automobile. There are two displays and two headphones so that each channel can be independently selected. In the embodiment, the infrared rays of the third group 54 are directly transmitted toward the headphones 20 of the passengers 66 of the rear seat 38, but the infrared rays of the fourth group 56 are reflected by the front panel 64 and the wall surface 68 in the vehicle. It is sent to each part in the car.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment relating to the attachment position of the infrared radiator 16. (A) is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the automobile 12 including the car center line 40 (FIG. 1), and (b) is a diagram showing the infrared radiator 16 cut along a plane perpendicular to the car center line 40 at a position where the display 58 is located. It is a cross-sectional view.
As shown to (a) of the figure, the infrared radiator 16 is provided with the light emitting diode group of the 3rd group 54 and the 4th group 56 for sending out the 2nd infrared beams 30A and 30B for audio | voice signals. ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the infrared radiator 16 is provided with light emitting diode groups of a first group 48 and a second group 50 for transmitting the first infrared beams 24A and 24B for image signals. It has been.

  The second light emitting portion having the third group 54 and the fourth group 56 is located at a position lower than the line 72 at the lower edge of the rear window 70 of the automobile 12 or higher than the line 74 at the upper edge of the window 70. To place. Further, the first light emitting unit having the first group 48 and the second group 50 is located at a position lower than the lower edge line 73 of the horizontal window 71 or higher than the upper edge line 75 of the horizontal window 71. To place.

  If the first group 48 and the second group 50, or the third group 54 and the fourth group 56 are arranged at the same height as the side window 71 and the rear window 70, the strength in the direction indicated by the arrows 77 and 80 in the figure. A high-infrared infrared beam is directly sent out and jumps into the car from the window of another car that runs next to it. This causes interference and interference. Infrared beams that pass through the window after being reflected several times in the vehicle have a sufficiently low intensity, so that they are less harmful even when radiated to the outside. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention can be effectively used by selecting the arrangement of the infrared radiator 16.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, a display light receiver 78 is attached to the left side surface of the display 58 fixed to the back of the front seat. The first infrared beam 24A is directly input to the display light receiver 78 without being reflected by the wall surface. The beam diameter of the infrared beam 24A is preferably selected to be several times less than the aperture of the display light receiver 78. The power of the infrared beam 24A is selected to a sufficiently low level so as not to affect the infrared beam for the audio signal after passing through the display light receiver 78 and being reflected by the wall surface of the interior of the automobile 12. As a result, it is possible to prevent interference between infrared beams that transmit different signals in a narrow automobile room. In addition, interference can be prevented by using, for example, a polarizing filter to change the polarization angle of each infrared beam or using infrared rays having different wavelengths.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration for processing image signals and audio signals in the apparatus of the present invention.
As shown in the figure, an image signal 22 and an audio signal 28 are output from a DVD device 21 attached to a car audio or navigator. The image signal 22 is processed by the signal processing circuit 27 of the first light emitting unit 26 to cause the light emitting diode 49 to emit light. As a result, the first infrared beams 24A and 24B corresponding to the image signals are transmitted toward the displays 58 and 60 (FIG. 1). On the other hand, the audio signal 28 is processed by the signal processing circuit 33 of the second light emitting unit 32 to drive the light emitting diode 51. The second infrared beams 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B transmitted by the light emitting diode 51 are transmitted toward the headphones 20. As already described, the light-emitting diodes 49 and 51 are each composed of two groups of light-emitting diodes.

  A display light receiver 78 is provided on the display 58 side. The display light receiver 78 converts the received infrared light into an electrical signal. The signal reproducing circuit 79 processes this signal. As a result, the infrared beam is converted into an electrical signal and an image is displayed on the display unit 59. On the headphone 20 side, the signal reproduction circuit 85 processes the infrared beam received by the headphone light receiver 84. This signal drives a speaker 87 incorporated in the headphones.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the main part of the console box 46 for explaining the fifth embodiment.
In the illustrated example, a bottle folder 88 is fixed to the upper surface of the console box 46, and the infrared radiator 16 is integrally incorporated therein. Then, the light emitting portion of the infrared radiator 16 is attached to the upper edge of the bottle folder 88 of the console box 46. Various belongings such as bags, coats, newspapers and magazines are placed inside the car. Since the apparatus of the present invention uses infrared rays, its function is hindered when an object is placed over the infrared radiator 16. This embodiment prevents that.

  FIG. 5 is a top view of the bottle folder 88. As shown in the drawing, the light emitting diode groups of the first group 48 and the second group 50 are attached along one side of the bottle folder 88. These emit first infrared beams 24A and 24B in the direction indicated by the arrows. Thus, a video signal is transmitted to the display 58 on the back of the driver's seat and the display 60 on the back of the passenger's seat. On the other hand, in the vicinity of the center of the bottle folder 88, the infrared emitter groups of the third group 54 and the fourth group 56 are arranged. As shown in the drawing, they send out second infrared beams 30A and 30B in the front seat direction and the rear seat direction of the vehicle, respectively. As a result, the audio signal is transmitted. With such a structure, most of the infrared radiator 16 can be incorporated under the bottle folder as shown in the figure, and the apparatus can be made compact as a whole. In addition, it is possible to prevent objects from being placed on the infrared light emitting groups of the first group, the second group, the third group, and the fourth group.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example in which the display light receiver is attached to the lower side of the chair, and is a front view when the front seat direction is viewed from the rear seat.
In the structure shown in FIG. 3B, when an article such as a newspaper is placed between the infrared radiator 16 and the displays 58 and 60, the infrared beam is blocked and the display does not operate. For this reason, as shown in the figure, the image signal light receivers 101 and 102 are extended to the under-seat with the extension cords 92 and 93, and the infrared beam is transmitted from the infrared radiator 16 to the under-seat.

  A display light receiver 78 is connected to the display 58 shown in FIG. A display light receiver 79 is connected to the display 60 via an extension cord 93. The display light receivers 78 and 79 are arranged under the driver and passenger seats. The first group 48 of the infrared radiator 16 transmits an infrared beam toward the image signal receiver 101, and the second group 50 transmits an infrared beam toward the image signal receiver 102. The display 58 is attached to the back of the driver seat, and the display 60 is attached to the back of the passenger seat. The extension cords 92 and 93 are both extended under the seats of these seats, and display light receivers 78 and 79 are connected to the distal ends thereof. The infrared light emitters of the first group 48 and the second group 50 provided on the infrared radiator 16 emit an infrared beam toward the lower side of the seat, and the distance between the first group 48 and the display light receiver 98. Alternatively, since the distance between the second group 50 and the display light receiver 99 is very short, the output of the infrared beam can be made sufficiently weak.

  In this way, wireless communication with very little interference becomes possible. The infrared light emitters of the third group and the fourth group may be attached to the upper surface of the infrared radiator 16 in the manner described above. In the example shown in this figure, the extension cord 92 can be directly connected to the infrared radiator 16 and the display can be selected not to be wireless. However, this reduces the degree of freedom in arranging the displays 58 and 60. In addition, the length of the extension cord 92 needs to be adjusted. This complicates the installation work. Therefore, it can be said that the structure shown in this figure is most suitable.

The audiovisual system for automobile 12 of the present invention described above has the following effects.
1. Since infrared rays are used for cordless transmission of the image signal 22 and the audio signal 28, cordlessness can be achieved, and the cost of incorporation into the automobile 12 can be reduced.
2. Unlike visible light, the infrared rays used for transmission are invisible to the naked eye, and do not hinder driving.
3. The sound signal 28 for driving the headphones 20 can be transmitted to every corner of the vehicle using reflection. For example, if all audio signals are reflected from the ceiling of the automobile, the interference with the image signals can be reduced, and the audio signals can be transmitted with almost equal power to all seats of the automobile.
4). Since the directivity of the infrared radiator 16 can be set so as to reduce the energy directly radiated from the window 70, there is no possibility of causing interference by jumping into the nearby automobile 12 or other equipment through the window 70. Control is easier than radio waves.
5. If the infrared radiator 16 is divided into a plurality of groups and controlled independently, each display 18 and the headphone 20 can reproduce the contents of any channel, so that the individual passengers 66 can independently enjoy the favorite contents. .

  In the above description, an example of installing an automotive audiovisual system inside a private car has been described. However, it does not have a wiring facility dedicated to an automotive audiovisual system in advance, and it is required to attach an automotive audiovisual system as an option afterwards. It can be widely used for buses, wagons and trains.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automobile using the automobile audiovisual system according to Embodiment 1; It is a block diagram of the internal circuit of an infrared radiator. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment relating to the mounting position of the infrared radiator 16, where (a) is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the automobile 12 including the car center line 40 (FIG. 1), and (b) is the infrared radiator 16; Cross-sectional views cut along a plane perpendicular to the center line 40 of the car at a certain position, (c) and (d) are explanatory views of an infrared beam. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structure by which an image signal and an audio | voice signal are processed in the apparatus of this invention. FIG. 10 is a top view of a main part of a console box for explaining Example 5; It is drawing which shows the example which attached the light receiver for displays to the lower side of a chair, and is a front view when the front seat direction is seen from a rear seat.

Explanation of symbols

12 Car 16 Infrared Radiator 20 Headphone 36 Front Seat 38 Rear Seat 40 Car Center Line 42 Driver's Seat 44 Passenger Seat 46 Console Box 58 Driver's Seat Back Display 60 Passenger Seat Back Display 62 Instrument Panel 64 Front Panel 66 Passenger 68 Car interior walls

Claims (8)

An infrared radiator that emits a plurality of infrared beams each having a predetermined directivity and independently controlled in a vehicle interior;
A display fixed in the interior of the automobile;
With passenger headphones,
The infrared radiator transmits a first infrared beam for transmitting an image signal to the display, and a second infrared beam for transmitting an audio signal to the headphones. And an audio-visual system for automobiles. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
The audiovisual system for automobiles, wherein the infrared radiator is disposed in the vicinity of a center line of the vehicle so that the front seat direction and the rear seat direction of the automobile can be seen. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
An automotive audiovisual system characterized in that the infrared radiator is disposed on a console box sandwiched between a driver's seat and a passenger seat of the vehicle. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
Provided in the infrared radiator,
The first light emitting unit includes a light emitting diode group of a first group and a second group,
The second light emitting unit includes a light emitting diode group of a third group and a fourth group,
The first group sends infrared rays toward the display on the back of the driver's seat,
The second group sends infrared rays toward the display on the back of the passenger seat,
The third group sends infrared rays toward the rear seat,
The fourth group transmits an infrared ray toward a front panel in which an instrument panel or the like in front of the front seat is arranged. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
The first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit provided in the infrared radiator are:
An audiovisual system for an automobile, wherein the audiovisual system is arranged at a position lower than a lower edge line of the automobile window or higher than an upper edge line of the window. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
An audio-visual system for automobiles, wherein the light emitting part of the infrared radiator is attached to the upper edge of the bottle folder of the console box. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
The display receiver is arranged under the seat, and the display receiver and the display are connected using an extension cord,
The audio-visual system for automobiles, wherein the first light emitting unit emits an infrared beam toward a display light receiver under the seat. The audiovisual system for automobiles according to claim 1,
The light emitting part for audio signals provided in the infrared radiator is:
An audiovisual system for automobiles that emits infrared rays toward the ceiling of the automobile.

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