JP2006113008A - Proximity switch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a proximity switch allowing a user to set an arbitrary operation point. <P>SOLUTION: When a control section 10 receives switch signals continuously for a first predetermined time or more from a calibration switch 12, it varies the operation distance. When the switch signals are inputted for the first predetermined time or more, the voltage value of a light receiving section 11b when a detected object exists at a position for turning on or off an illumination in a cabin, and the voltage value of the light receiving section 11b when a detected object exists at a position for not turning on or off the illumination in the cabin are inputted into the control section 10 in a detection range of a sensor section 11. The control section 10 sets the operation distance of the sensor section 11 based on these voltage values. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In the present invention, the light emitted from the light emitting element strikes the detection target, and the reflected light from the detection target is detected, so that the operation target (eg, vehicle interior lighting) can be powered without touching the detection target to the switch. The present invention relates to a proximity switch that is turned on or off.

  Conventionally, a proximity switch that employs a reflective sensor that irradiates light from a light source and captures reflected light from a detection target is widely known. This type of proximity switch can be turned on or off without the user directly touching a reflective sensor provided in the proximity sensor, for example, for turning on or off vehicle interior lighting. Used as a switch.

  The proximity switch mounted on the vehicle turns on or off the vehicle interior lighting based on a sensor unit having a light emitting element (for example, LED) and a light receiving element (for example, a photodiode), and a received signal from the light receiving element of the sensor unit. And a control unit for controlling.

  In such a proximity switch, when the control unit creates a light emission pulse and outputs the light emission pulse to the light emitting element, the light emitting element emits light according to the light emission pulse. When the light hits the user's hand and is reflected, the light receiving element receives the reflected light from the user's hand and outputs a voltage value corresponding to the reflected light intensity to the control unit as a received signal. The control unit performs the lighting or extinguishing process of the vehicle interior lamp when the input received signal exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold value.

  However, in the above conventional technique, the threshold value set in the control unit of the proximity switch is fixed, and therefore, when the reflectance of light changes depending on the state of the skin of the user's hand and the orientation of the hand with respect to the sensor, There was a problem that the operation specification as a proximity switch would change.

  Specifically, when the reflectance of light in the hand is high, a voltage value corresponding to the intensity of reflected light received by the light receiving element is set in the control unit even when the hand is far from the sensor unit. The threshold is exceeded. Therefore, although the responsiveness as a proximity switch is good, since it reacts also when it is unnecessary, it makes a user feel troublesome.

  On the other hand, when the reflectance of light in the hand is low, the voltage value corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light received by the light receiving element is set in the control unit even if the hand is held close to the sensor unit. The value is not exceeded and the switch is not switched. Therefore, the responsiveness as a non-contact sensor will worsen.

  In addition, when the palm or back of the hand is directed toward the light receiving element of the sensor, the light reflectance is high because the light reflecting surface of the hand is wide. On the other hand, when the fingertip of the hand is directed toward the light receiving element, the light reflectance is low because the light reflection area of the fingertip is small. Thus, when the reflectance of light changes according to the direction of the hand, as described above, the responsiveness as a proximity switch changes.

  As described above, the distance from the light receiving element to the user's hand depending on the state of the user's hand skin and the light receiving element, i.e., even if the same proximity switch is used for the operating point, it will change depending on the user. The responsiveness as a switch could not be determined.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a proximity switch that allows a user to arbitrarily set an operation point.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control means changes the operating distance when a switch signal is continuously input from the switch for a first predetermined time or more. Within the detection range, the voltage value of the light receiving means when the detection target is at a position where the operation target is turned on or off, and the light reception when the detection target is at a position where the operation target is not turned on or off. The voltage value of the means is input, and the operating distance of the sensor is set based on the voltage value.

  As described above, the user can arbitrarily set the operation point by pressing the switch for the first predetermined time. Then, the voltage value of the light receiving means corresponding to the position of the detection target to be turned on or off of the operation target and the position of the detection target not to be detected is detected, and the operating distance of the sensor is set based on these voltage values To do. That is, the operation area of the sensor is set. Thereby, it is possible to set an area (operation point) that the sensor wants to react reliably and an area (non-operation point) that you do not want to react reliably. Therefore, once the operation distance is set, the switch function can be realized at a certain operation point regardless of the state of the skin of the user's hand and the direction of the hand.

  For example, vehicle interior lighting of a vehicle can be employed as the operation target. That is, the operating point can be changed in the proximity switch for turning on or off the vehicle interior lighting.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the control means controls from the sensor to the detection target from the voltage value of the light receiving means that turns on or off the power supply of the operation target and the voltage value of the light receiving means that does not turn on or off the power supply of the operation target. Each of the distances is obtained, and an operating distance is set at any place between the distances, and a voltage value corresponding to the operating distance is stored as a threshold value (170). The power supply of the operation target is turned on or off depending on whether the voltage value corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light exceeds a threshold value.

  Thus, the power supply of the operation target is turned on or off depending on whether or not the voltage value of the light receiving element exceeds the set threshold value. This threshold value is arbitrarily set by the user, and the operating point of the sensor unit can be made constant by this threshold value. Therefore, regardless of the state of the user's hand epidermis and the direction of the hand, the power of the operation target can be turned on or off at a certain operating point.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each said means shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The proximity switch according to the present embodiment can be employed as a switch that turns on or off the vehicle interior lighting of the vehicle as an operation target. Therefore, the user can turn on or off the vehicle interior illumination without touching the proximity switch. In addition, the proximity switch is activated when power is supplied from an in-vehicle battery of the vehicle.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a proximity switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the proximity switch includes a control unit 10, a sensor unit 11, and a calibration switch (hereinafter referred to as CSW) 12.

  The control unit 10 emits light for detecting the detection target from a sensor unit 11 described later, detects reflected light from the detection target received by the sensor unit 11, and based on the reflected light, the vehicle It has a function of turning on or off the indoor lighting. Such a control unit 10 has a configuration including a known microcomputer having a CPU, a nonvolatile memory, and the like.

  Further, the control unit 10 has a calibration function that can change a response distance (distance from a light receiving unit 11b described later to a detection target; operation distance), that is, an operation point, as a proximity switch, and is controlled from an ignition switch (not shown). When an ACC (accessory) signal is input to the unit 10, the response distance can be changed. The calibration function will be described in detail in the operation of the proximity switch. The control unit 10 corresponds to the control means of the present invention.

  The sensor unit 11 emits light and receives light reflected by the detection target, and includes a light emitting unit 11a and a light receiving unit 11b.

  The light emitting unit 11a emits light according to the light emission pulse created by the control unit 10, and includes, for example, an LED (light emitting diode) that emits infrared light. The light receiving unit 11b receives reflected light reflected from the detection target by infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 11a, and includes a photodiode, for example. The light receiving unit 11b converts the received reflected light into a voltage value (voltage signal) corresponding to the intensity, and outputs this voltage signal to the control unit 10 as a received signal. The sensor unit 11 corresponds to the sensor of the present invention, the light emitting unit 11a corresponds to the light emitting unit of the present invention, and the light receiving unit 11b corresponds to the light receiving unit of the present invention.

  The CSW 12 is a switch for setting an operation point (response distance) within the detection range of the sensor unit 11, and a push switch, for example, is employed. When the CSW 12 is pressed, a CSW signal is output from the CSW 12 to the control unit 10 while the CSW 12 is pressed. By using such a CSW 12, it is possible to set a position (operation point) at which the proximity switch reliably reacts to the user's hand and a position (non-operation point) at which the proximity switch does not react reliably.

  The CSW 12 is preferably installed in a range that can be reached by the user, such as near the meter or the center console. Further, the CSW 12 is not disposed in the vicinity of the sensor unit 11. This is to prevent the sensor unit 11 from reacting to the user's hand pressing the CSW 12. The CSW 12 corresponds to the switch of the present invention. The above is the configuration of the proximity switch.

  Next, the proximity switch calibration function will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the contents of the calibration process of the control unit 10. This process is executed by a program recorded in the CPU of the control unit 10, that is, a calibration program. The program starts when power is supplied to the proximity switch.

  In step 100, it is determined whether or not an ACC signal is input to the control unit 10. This is because the calibration process can be performed while the ACC signal is input to the control unit 10. In this step, if no ACC signal is input to the control unit 10, this process ends. On the other hand, when the ACC signal is input to the control unit 10, the process proceeds to step 110.

  In step 110, it is determined whether or not there has been a long press input of the CSW 12 for the first predetermined time or more to the control unit 10. This is because the user wishes to change the response distance of the proximity switch by detecting a long press of the CSW 12. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the time during which the CSW signal is input from the CSW 12 to the control unit 10 is equal to or longer than the first predetermined time (for example, 5 s).

  In this step, when the CSW 12 is pressed for the first predetermined time or longer, the adjustment mode for adjusting the response distance is entered, and the processing after step 120 is executed. This response distance is determined based on the voltage value of the photodiode of the light receiving unit 11b. Therefore, the response distance can be changed by providing a threshold for the voltage value of the photodiode of the light receiving portion 11b. On the other hand, if the CSW signal is not input to the control unit 10 for the first predetermined time or longer in this step, the calibration process ends. In this step, the user may be notified by a buzzer that the CSW 12 has been pressed for a long time. The same applies to the operation of CSW 12 below.

  In step 120, it is determined whether or not the CSW 12 has been input again within the second predetermined time. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the user has pressed the CSW 12 again after the CSW 12 has been pressed for a long time in Step 110. Here, the second predetermined time is a time counted on the basis of the time when the adjustment mode is entered in step 110. The second predetermined time is set to 5 s, for example. As described above, the reason why the user presses the CSW 12 again is to proceed to the process of storing the operation point triggered by the CSW 12 being pressed.

  In this step, it is determined whether the CSW 12 is simply pressed and a CSW signal is input from the CSW 12 to the control unit 10 regardless of the long press of the CSW 12. If the user does not press the CSW 12 again within the second predetermined time, the calibration process ends. On the other hand, if the user presses the CSW 12 again within the second predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 130.

  The processing after step 130 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows that in the sensor detection area of the sensor unit 11, the proximity switch reacts reliably (I want the switch to react reliably) and the position A and the switch do not react reliably (I don't want the switch to react reliably). It is the figure which showed the position B. FIG.

  In step 130, the sensing value of position A is stored. Specifically, when the user places his / her hand at the position A shown in FIG. 3, a light emission pulse is generated by the control unit 10, and light is transmitted from the light emitting unit 11 a of the sensor unit 11 according to the light emission pulse. . The light is reflected by the hand at position A in FIG. 3 and is received by the photodiode of the light receiving unit 11b of the sensor unit 11. At that time, the voltage value (sensing value) of the photodiode is output to the control unit 10 and stored in the nonvolatile memory of the control unit 10.

  In step 140, it is determined whether or not the CSW 12 has been input within the third predetermined time. Here, the third predetermined time is a time counted on the basis of the time when the adjustment mode is entered in step 110. The third predetermined time is set to 10 s, for example. In this step, as in step 120 described above, it is determined whether the CSW 12 is pressed and a CSW signal is input to the control unit 10. If the user does not press the CSW 12 within the third predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 150. On the other hand, if the user presses the CSW 12 within the third predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 160.

  In step 150, the sensing value at position A is discarded. Specifically, since CSW 12 is not pressed in step 140, it is considered that the user has abandoned the calibration process. Therefore, in order to end the calibration process, the voltage value of the photodiode stored in step 130, that is, the sensing value of the position A is erased from the nonvolatile memory. In this process, the threshold value is determined only when both the position A and the position B shown in FIG. 3 are set, so that it is not necessary to store only the voltage value at the position A. Thus, in this step, when the sensing value at position A is discarded, the operating point of the proximity switch is returned to the previously stored threshold value, and the calibration process ends.

  In step 160, the sensing value at position B is stored. The position B shown in FIG. 3 is a position that the user does not want to react reliably. In this step, processing similar to that in step 130 is performed.

  In step 170, the threshold is changed. This threshold value is a voltage value of the photodiode that represents the boundary between the operating point and the non-operating point, and is a value corresponding to the distance from the sensor unit 11. Specifically, the threshold value is determined and changed as follows. First, the control unit 10 is provided with a correlation map between the voltage value of the photodiode and the distance from the sensor unit 11 to the user's hand according to the voltage value. This correlation map is shown in FIG. The voltage values of the photodiodes at the positions A and B obtained in steps 130 and 160 are assigned to the map of FIG.

  Thereafter, an intermediate distance between position A and position B shown in FIG. 4 is set as a boundary position between the operating point and the non-operating point as a switch, and the voltage value of the photodiode corresponding to the boundary position is obtained from the map. This voltage value is stored in the control unit 10 as a threshold value. When the threshold value of the control unit 10 is rewritten to the newly obtained threshold value in this way, the control unit 10 turns on or off the vehicle interior lighting based on the newly set threshold value.

  This completes the calibration process. In this way, the vehicle interior lighting can be turned on or off at a fixed operating point regardless of the state of the user's hand skin or the direction of the hand.

  Since the threshold value stored in the control unit 10 is stored in the nonvolatile memory, even if the power of the proximity switch is turned off, the data is not lost. Further, even after the calibration process is completed once, as long as the ACC signal of the ignition switch is input to the control unit 10, if the process of step 110 shown in FIG. Can be set.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the proximity switch provided with the CSW 12, the user can arbitrarily set an operating point where the sensor unit 11 reacts reliably and a non-operating point where the sensor unit 11 does not react reliably. It is said.

  As described above, the CSW 12 is provided in the proximity switch, and the user can arbitrarily set the operation point by pressing the CSW 12 for the first predetermined time. And the voltage value of the light-receiving part 11b corresponding to the position A where the vehicle interior lighting is turned on or off and the position B where it is not turned on is detected, respectively, and the operating distance of the sensor part 11 is set based on these voltage values (FIG. 4). That is, the operation area of the sensor unit 11 is set. Thereby, an area (operation point) that the sensor unit 11 wants to react reliably and an area (non-operation point) that you do not want to react reliably can be set.

  Therefore, when the reflectance of the user is set, that is, the operating distance of the sensor unit 11 is set, regardless of the state of the user's hand epidermis and the direction of the hand, the user who has made the setting always moves the vehicle at a constant operating point. An indoor lighting switch function can be realized.

(Other embodiments)
In the said 1st Embodiment, although the example of the vehicle interior lighting of a vehicle was demonstrated as an operation target object, an operation target object is not restricted to this. In other words, any object that can be turned on or off can be used.

  In the first embodiment, a push-type switch is used as the CSW 12, but any switch may be used. For example, a multi-display used in a car navigation system or the like can be adopted. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a proximity switch that employs a multi-display instead of the CSW 12.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the proximity switch includes a multi-display 13. The multi-display 13 can display many contents on one display. Therefore, the multi-display 13 can be used as a software switch by displaying the calibration processing content set in the control unit 10 on the multi-display 13. The operation is performed with, for example, a remote control or a touch panel.

  The multi-display 13 is electrically connected to the control unit 10 via the in-vehicle LAN 14, and an operation signal in the multi-display 13 is input to the control unit 10 as a digital signal (bit signal) via the in-vehicle LAN 14. And in the control part 10, a calibration process will be performed similarly to 1st Embodiment. As described above, the multi-display 13 may be used as a calibration switch.

  In the first embodiment, the voltage value corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light of the user's hand is stored in steps 130 and 160 of the flowchart shown in FIG. In order to measure the distance to B, by measuring the time from when a light emission pulse is transmitted from the light emitting unit 11a of the sensor unit 11 until the reflected light is received by the light receiving unit 11b, each position A, B may be detected. In such a case, a timer may be provided in the control unit 10 and time measurement may be performed using this timer.

  In the first embodiment, the voltage values of the photodiodes corresponding to the positions A and B are substituted into the map shown in FIG. 4, and the intermediate position between the positions A and B is set as a threshold value. The method of determining the threshold is not limited to this.

  Note that the steps shown in each figure correspond to means for executing various processes.

It is a block block diagram of the proximity switch which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the content of the calibration process which the control part of FIG. 1 performs. It is the figure which showed the position A to which a proximity switch reacts, and the position B which does not react in the sensor detection area of a sensor part. It is the figure which showed the correlation map with the distance from the sensor part according to the voltage value of a photodiode, and a user's hand according to the voltage value. It is a block block diagram of the proximity switch which employ | adopted the multi display.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Sensor part, 11a ... Light emission part, 11b ... Light-receiving part,
12 ... Calibration switch, 13 ... Multi-display, 14 ... In-vehicle LAN.

Claims (2)

Control means (10) for turning on or off the power of the operation object;
A light emitting means (11a) for emitting infrared light based on a command from the control means;
A sensor (11) having light receiving means (11b) for receiving the light reflected by the detection target and outputting a voltage value corresponding to the intensity of the light;
A switch (12, 13) for setting a working distance as to whether or not to turn on or off the power supply of the operation object within a detection range of the sensor,
The control means is configured to change the operating distance when a switch signal is continuously input from the switch for a first predetermined time or more, and within the detection range of the sensor, A voltage value of the light receiving means when the detection target is at a position to turn on or off, and a voltage value of the light receiving means when the detection target is at a position where the power of the operation target is not turned on or off, The proximity switch is characterized in that the operating distance of the sensor is set based on the voltage values thereof. The control means includes
Means (130) for storing a voltage value of the light receiving means corresponding to a position at which the power source of the operation target is turned on or off;
Means (160) for storing a voltage value of the light receiving means corresponding to a position where the power of the operation object is not turned on or off;
The distance from the sensor to the detection target is determined from the voltage value of the light receiving means that turns on or off the power of the operation target and the voltage value of the light receiving means that does not turn on or off the power of the operation target. Means for setting the operating distance at any location in between, and storing a voltage value corresponding to the operating distance as a threshold value (170),
2. The power source of the operation target is turned on or off depending on whether or not a voltage value corresponding to the intensity of light reflected by the detection target exceeds the threshold value. Proximity switch as described in.

Images