JP2007265787A - Indicator structure of electronic apparatus and mobile audio unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an indicator structure of an electronic apparatus and a mobile audio unit in which a switch and an indicator can be arranged in a fairly small space. <P>SOLUTION: An indicator 3 is embedded in the escutcheon 41 of an on-vehicle audio unit 1 in a state of being partly exposed, the exposed surface 31 is made to be movable in a pushing direction into the escutcheon 41, a switch 14 is arranged for detecting whether the indicator 3 is pushed or not, and further an LED light emitter 13 is arranged for emitting light toward the indicator 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an indicator structure for an electronic device and an in-vehicle audio apparatus.

Conventional electronic devices often employ a configuration in which a switch and an indicator are arranged side by side and the lighting state of the indicator is changed according to the result of the switch operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-256865 A

  In recent years, with the increase in the number of functions of electronic devices, the number of switches and indicators included in the electronic devices is increasing, and it is difficult to secure a space for arranging the switches and indicators. In particular, electronic devices with standardized sizes, such as in-vehicle electronic devices, have had to efficiently arrange components in a limited space, so miniaturization and efficient placement of switches and indicators has been required. .

  In view of the circumstances described above, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to arrange switches and indicators in a smaller space.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an indicator structure that emits light on a surface panel of an electronic device, wherein a part of the indicator structure is exposed on the surface panel and the exposed portion can be pushed into the surface panel. An indicator for an electronic device, characterized in that a light guide is embedded, a switch for detecting an operation of pushing the light guide is provided, and a light emitter that emits light toward the light guide is further provided. Provide structure.
According to this configuration, the light guide that is exposed on the front panel emits light by the light of the light emitter, and the operation of pushing the light guide is detected by the switch. That is, a structure having both an indicator and a switch operation unit can be realized. This structure can be installed in an extremely small space compared to the case where the indicator and the switch are provided separately, and can be easily applied to a small electronic device. In addition, the number of parts of the electronic device can be reduced, which can contribute to cost reduction.

  In the above configuration, the switch may be a switch that detects a pressing operation from a predetermined direction, and the light guide may be positioned on a predetermined direction side of the switch. In this case, when the light guide is pushed in, the switch can reliably detect the operation. Further, by using a general-purpose switch, the cost can be further reduced.

  Moreover, the said structure WHEREIN: The said light guide may have a light guide structure which guides the light which the said light-emitting body irradiates to the exposed part of the said light guide. In this case, even if the light emitter is in a position where sufficient light cannot be sent to the portion exposed to the front panel, light is sufficiently sent by the light guide structure. Thereby, since the light guide can emit light with a sufficient amount of light, the restriction on the position of the light emitter is greatly relaxed, and there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in mounting is increased.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an in-vehicle audio apparatus including an indicator that emits light on a front panel, wherein the indicator is partially exposed on the front panel, and the exposed portion is exposed to the front surface. A light guide that is embedded in the panel so as to be able to be pushed in, a switch that detects an operation of pushing the light guide, and a light emitter that emits light toward the light guide. Provided is an in-vehicle audio device characterized by comprising a control means for controlling a lighting state.
According to this configuration, since the indicator that emits light according to the control of the control means also serves as a switch operation unit, it can be installed in a very small space compared to the case where the indicator and the switch are provided separately and mounted efficiently. it can. As a result, the degree of freedom in designing the in-vehicle audio device with limited installation space and size can be increased, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of components.

In the above configuration, the control means causes the light emitter to blink at a predetermined cycle when an operation abnormality of the in-vehicle audio device occurs, and when the switch detects an operation after starting the blink, The blinking of the body may be terminated and the operation state of the in-vehicle audio device may be initialized.
In this case, the operation abnormality of the in-vehicle audio device is notified as an indicator, and the indicator functions as a switch operation unit, and can instruct initialization of the operation state of the in-vehicle audio device. In other words, since a single indicator can be used to notify and eliminate an abnormal operation, there is an advantage that an intuitive operation is possible and the operability of the in-vehicle audio device is improved.

Further, in the above configuration, the control means controls an operation state of another device connected to the in-vehicle audio device according to a detection state of the switch, and emits the light according to the operation state of the other device. The body may be turned on or blinked.
In this case, it is possible to control the operation of the other device and notify the operation state of the other device with an indicator that also serves as a switch operation unit, and an intuitive operation is possible, so that the operability of the in-vehicle audio device is improved. There are advantages.

  According to the present invention, since the indicator serves as the switch operation unit, it can be installed in a very small space compared to the case where the indicator and the switch are provided separately.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied.
The in-vehicle audio device 1 as an electronic device is mounted on a vehicle by processing a sound signal output from the sound source 22 by the sound output unit 21 by a user operating the operation unit 23 and outputting the sound signal to the speaker 24. Sound is output from the speaker 24.
As the sound source 22, audio data is read and demodulated from a tuner, a CD drive, a DVD drive, a cassette tape player, a recording medium using a semiconductor memory element, or a hard disk device as well as a demodulator that receives AM / FM broadcasts, etc. For example.

  A warning device 2 is externally connected to the in-vehicle audio device 1. The warning device 2 executes a warning operation to prevent the vehicle (not shown) on which the vehicle-mounted audio device 1 is mounted, and issues a warning when a change in atmospheric pressure in the vehicle interior, vibration applied to the vehicle, or the like is detected. Output. Examples of the alarm output from the warning device 2 include output of warning sound from a speaker (not shown) built in the warning device 2 and light emission of a light built in the warning device 2. A warning sound may be output.

  The in-vehicle audio device 1 includes a control unit 11 as a control unit that controls the operation of the audio output unit 21 and controls the start and end of the alert operation by the alert device 2. The control unit 11 is connected to an LED light emitting unit 13 as a light emitter and a switch 14. The control unit 11 starts / ends the warning operation of the warning device 2 according to the operation of the switch 14 and causes the LED light emitting unit 13 to blink at intervals of 1 second, for example, while the warning device 2 executes the warning operation.

Moreover, the control part 11 blinks the LED light emission part 13 at intervals of 0.5 second, for example, when abnormal operation generate | occur | produces in the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1 and it becomes a system error. Here, when the LED light emission part 13 is operated continuously, for example for 1 second or more, while resetting the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1, the blinking of the LED light emission part 13 is complete | finished.
Here, examples of the system error in the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 include an operation abnormality in the sound source 22 and an operation abnormality in the sound output unit 21 due to an illegal operation of the operation unit 23. Specifically, the operation abnormality in the sound source 22 is an abnormality in reading of the recording medium due to the setting of a recording medium such as a CD or DVD that is not compatible with the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1, an operation abnormality in driving, and the like.

  The LED light emitting unit 13 and the switch 14 are integrally disposed as an indicator embedded in an escutcheon constituting the casing of the in-vehicle audio device 1. Hereinafter, the structure of this indicator will be described.

FIG. 2 is a main part external view showing a configuration of an indicator in the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, description will be made by determining the top, bottom, left, and right based on the state shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the indicator 3 is configured as a light guide that is exposed from a hole 41 </ b> C formed in an escutcheon 41 as a front panel. This light guide has a light-transmitting property and transmits light, and its refractive index is preferably different from the refractive index of air. For example, the light guide is made of a material such as glass or synthetic resin, and more preferably PC. (Polycarbonate) and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate, so-called acrylic resin), etc.

The indicator 3 is configured to be movable inside the escutcheon 41 by pressing the light emitting surface 31 exposed from the hole 41 </ b> C of the escutcheon 41. The upper part of the indicator 3 has a shape that tapers in steps, and the hole 41C formed in the escutcheon 41 tapers in steps correspondingly. With this shape, the indicator 3 is prevented from falling off and excessively protruding.
In addition, below the escutcheon 41, the substrate 42 is disposed in contact with the rib 41 </ b> A of the escutcheon 41 and substantially parallel to the surface of the escutcheon 41. Thereby, a space surrounded by the substrate 42 and the escutcheon 41 is formed. In this space, the indicator 3 is configured wider than the light emitting surface 31. And if the light emission surface 31 is made into the upper surface of the indicator 3 for convenience, the LED light emission part 13 and the switch 14 will be arrange | positioned in the bottom face of the indicator 3 side by side. The LED light emitting unit 13 and the switch 14 are mounted on a substrate 42 and connected to the control unit 11 (FIG. 1) via wiring (not shown) formed on the substrate 42.

The LED light emitting unit 13 is a top emission type light emitting device including one or a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes), and emits light toward the side opposite to the substrate 42, that is, upward, according to the control of the control unit 11.
The switch 14 is a tact switch located almost immediately below the light emitting surface 31. When the indicator 3 moves downward by a pressing operation on the light emitting surface 31, the switch 14 is pressed by the bottom surface of the indicator 3 to be turned ON. Here, when the pressing force on the light emitting surface 31 disappears, the indicator 3 may return to the original position by the elastic force of a rubber (not shown) or a spring (not shown) built in the switch 14. Alternatively, a biasing means such as a spring or rubber that biases the indicator 3 upward may be provided under the indicator 3.

By the way, since the LED light emitting unit 13 is located at a position shifted from directly below the light emitting surface 31, it is difficult for light emitted upward from the LED light emitting unit 13 to reach the light emitting surface 31.
Therefore, immediately above the LED light emitting unit 13, the upper end of the indicator 3 is cut obliquely to form the first reflecting surface 32. The first reflecting surface 32 is preferably formed of a flat slope having an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane (or the substrate 42), and the light incident on the indicator 3 from the upper surface of the LED light emitting unit 13 is emitted from the light emitting surface 31. Reflect to the side.
In addition, the indicator 3 is formed with a concave portion 33 opened on the side surface thereof just below the light emitting surface 31. The tip of the recess 33 is a second reflecting surface 34. The second reflecting surface 34 is preferably formed of a flat slope having an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane (or the substrate 42), is located directly below the light emitting surface 31, and is the same as the first reflecting surface 32. In the height position. The light reflected by the first reflecting surface 32 is reflected toward the light emitting surface 31 by the second reflecting surface 34.

  Therefore, the light emitted from the LED light emitting unit 13 is reflected by the first reflecting surface 32 and further reflected by the second reflecting surface 34 toward the light emitting surface 31 and from the light emitting surface 31, as shown by a one-dot chain line in the figure. Radiated to the outside. By the first reflecting surface 32 and the second reflecting surface 34 as the light guide structure, when the LED light emitting unit 13 is turned on, the light emission of the light emitting surface 31 can be visually recognized from inside and outside the vehicle compartment in which the in-vehicle audio device 1 is installed. Here, if there is a sufficient difference between the refractive index of the indicator 3 and the refractive index in the air, the first reflecting surface 32 and the second reflecting surface 34 reflect light with sufficient reflectivity without any special processing. However, aluminum or the like may be vapor-deposited or applied on the first reflecting surface 32 and the second reflecting surface 34 in order to increase the reflectance.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lighting state of the LED light emitting unit 13 under the control of the control unit 11.
When a system error occurs in the in-vehicle audio device 1, the control unit 11 performs short cycle blinking that repeats lighting and extinguishing every 0.5 seconds as illustrated in FIG. Moreover, the control part 11 alert | reports that it reset, when the light emission surface 31 of the indicator 3 is pushed in more than predetermined time (for example, 1 second) and the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1 is initialized (reset). Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the LED light emitting unit 13 is turned on and turned off after 1 second. In addition, while the control unit 11 is instructed to start the operation of the warning device 2 by pressing the indicator 3, and while the warning device 2 is performing a warning operation, as illustrated in FIG. Long cycle flashing that repeats turning off and off every second.

  Therefore, the user can know from the lighting state of the indicator 3 that the warning device 2 is in a warning operation, that a system error has occurred in the in-vehicle audio device 1, and that the reset has been performed. . Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4C, if the blinking cycle and the number of times of lighting vary greatly depending on the state of the in-vehicle audio device 1, the user can more clearly identify the in-vehicle audio device 1. You can know the state of.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle audio device 1, and specifically shows the control of the lighting state of the LED light emitting unit 13 according to the operation of the switch 14.
The control unit 11 stands by until the switch 14 detects the pressing operation of the indicator 3 (step S11). When the operation of the indicator 3 is detected, it is determined whether or not this operation is continued for 1 second or more (step S11). Step S12). This determination is made by measuring the time from when the switch 14 is turned on until it is turned off.

  When the pressing operation of the indicator 3 continues for 1 second or longer (step S12; Yes), the control unit 11 performs a reset to initialize each unit of the in-vehicle audio device 1 (step S13), and subsequently turns the LED light emitting unit 13 to 1 The light is emitted only once for 1 second (step S14), and the process returns to the standby state of step S11.

Moreover, when the pressing operation of the indicator 3 is shorter than 1 second (step S12; No), the control part 11 discriminate | determines whether the alerting device 2 is in alerting operation (step S15). Here, when the warning device 2 is performing a warning operation (step S15; Yes), the control unit 11 stops the warning operation of the warning device 2 and ends the long cycle blinking of the LED light emitting unit 13 (step S16). The process returns to the standby state in step S11.
On the other hand, when the warning device 2 is not in a warning operation (step S15; No), the control unit 11 starts a warning operation of the warning device 2 and starts blinking of the LED light emitting unit 13 for a long cycle (step S17). The process returns to the standby state in step S11.
With the operation shown in FIG. 5, the in-vehicle audio device 1 is reset or the warning operation of the warning device 2 is turned ON / OFF in response to the pressing operation of the indicator 3. Further, after the reset operation is performed and during the warning operation of the warning device 2, the LED light emitting unit 13 is turned on to notify the user to that effect.

As described above, according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the occurrence of a system error of the in-vehicle audio device 1, the execution of the reset of the in-vehicle audio device 1, the execution of the alert operation of the alert device 2, etc. are displayed. The in-vehicle audio device 1 is reset and the warning operation of the warning device 2 is switched ON / OFF by a pressing operation on the indicator 3. That is, the indicator 3 has both the function as an indicator and the function as a switch, and can be installed in an extremely small space as compared with the case where the indicator and the switch are provided separately, thereby realizing efficient mounting. For this reason, while improving the freedom degree of design in the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1 with which installation space and size were restrict | limited, it can contribute to cost reduction by reducing a number of parts.
In addition, since the switch 14 for detecting the pressing operation from above is arranged directly below the indicator 3, when the indicator 3 is pushed in, the switch 14 is surely turned ON, and if a general-purpose tact switch is used as the switch 14, Further cost reduction can be achieved.

Furthermore, since it has the structure which guides the light of the LED light emission part 13 to the light emission surface 31 by the 1st reflective surface 32 and the 2nd reflective surface 34, there is no restriction | limiting which concerns on the installation position of the LED light emission part 13, and the freedom degree on mounting has it. There is an advantage of high.
Furthermore, since the indicator 3 can notify the system error of the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 and perform a reset operation for eliminating the system error, the user can quickly detect when the system error has occurred. Can be instructed to reset. That is, since the notification and operation related to the system error can be performed only by the indicator 3, intuitive operation is possible and operability is improved. Similarly, the indicator 3 can be used to notify the operating state of the warning device 2 and to switch the operating state of the warning device 2, so that the warning device 2 can be operated intuitively.

  In the first embodiment, the case where a code is input based on the light emission color in the code input unit 17 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the code input unit 17 You can also enter a code by outputting a number. Hereinafter, this case will be described as a second embodiment.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the indicator 5 included in the in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and illustration and description thereof are omitted.
In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the LED light emitting unit 13 is disposed directly below the light emitting surface 51 exposed from the hole 41D provided in the escutcheon 41. In this example, the light emitted upward from the LED light emitting unit 13 directly reaches the light emitting surface 51 as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 6, so it is necessary to provide the first reflecting surface 32 and the second reflecting surface 34. Absent. For this reason, the effect similar to the said 1st Embodiment is acquired by simple structure.

The indicator 5 according to the second embodiment includes a light emitting surface 51 exposed in the hole 41D of the escutcheon 41, and a light guide portion 52 extending in the horizontal direction below the light emitting surface 51. An arm portion 53 is erected at one end of the light guide portion 52, and a distal end portion 54 of the arm portion 53 is embedded and fixed in the rib 41 </ b> A of the escutcheon 41. The indicator 5 is supported by the rib 41A via the tip 54, and when the light emitting surface 51 is pressed, the arm 53 is bent and the light guide 52 is rotated downward with the tip 54 as a fulcrum. To do.
As a result, the switch 14 disposed under the light guide 52 on the side away from the tip 54 is pressed by the rotated light guide 52 and turned ON.
Further, when the pressing force on the light emitting surface 51 disappears, the light guide part 52 returns to the original position by the elasticity of the arm part 53.

  Thus, according to the second embodiment, the indicator 5 is supported by the rib 41A via the tip portion 54, so that the light guide portion 52 rotates around the tip portion 54 during a pressing operation. Therefore, by disposing the switch 14 at the position where the displacement is the largest when rotating, the switch 14 is disposed at a position off from directly below the light emitting surface 51, and the switch 14 is reliably turned on during the pressing operation. Can be realized. In this configuration, since the LED light emitting unit 13 can be disposed immediately below the light emitting surface 51, sufficient light is sent to the light emitting surface 51 without providing a special configuration for guiding the light from the LED light emitting unit 13. Can do.

  Each embodiment described above shows one embodiment of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be arbitrarily modified and applied within the scope of the present invention. For example, in each said embodiment, although the structure which provided the LED light emission part 13 below the indicators 3 and 5 was illustrated, this invention is not limited to this, For example, in the location far away from the escutcheon 41 It is good also as a structure which arrange | positions the LED light emission part 13, arrange | positions the optical fiber which guides the light of this LED light emission part 13, and the end surface of this optical fiber reaches the surface of the escutcheon 41. In this case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained, and downsizing of the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 can be expected by devising the position of the LED light emitting unit 13.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the control unit 11 has been described as controlling the blinking cycle (lighting time, light-off time) of the LED light-emitting unit 13 according to the state of the vehicle-mounted audio device 1, the number of times of lighting, etc. When the LED light emitting unit 13 includes LEDs of a plurality of colors and can be lit in these multiple colors and intermediate colors, the lighting state of the LED light emitting unit 13 is changed to notify the user of the state of the control unit 11. Good. In this case, there is an advantage that the user can know the state of the in-vehicle audio device 1 more clearly. Further, instead of the LED light emitting unit 13, a light bulb and a color filter for changing the light emission color of the light bulb to an arbitrary color may be used.
Moreover, in each said embodiment, in order to prevent the vehicle in which the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus 1 is mounted as a warning operation | movement of the warning device 2, the pressure change inside a vehicle interior, the vibration added to a vehicle, etc. are detected, and a warning is carried out. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and threatening intended to prevent theft may be performed by simply blinking the indicator 3. That is, the warning device 2 may perform the warning operation as it is without blinking the indicator 3 by the control unit 11 without performing a substantial operation. Also in this case, since the indicator 3 itself flashing as a warning operation is a switch for instructing the start / end of the warning operation, there is an advantage that it can be operated intuitively.

Furthermore, although the in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the above embodiment has been described as an in-vehicle audio device mounted on a vehicle, the present invention is applied to a home or business audio device that outputs sound from a speaker installed in a building. It is also possible to apply. Further, as the sound source 22, an apparatus for acquiring data recorded on a computer-readable recording medium connected to the audio apparatus 1 via the network, demodulating this data, and outputting an audio signal May be used. It is also possible to change the tactile sensation during the pressing operation by placing another member having translucency on the light emitting surface 31 of the indicator 3 or the light emitting surface 51 of the indicator 5.
In addition, the specific shape of each part including the light emitting surface 31 of the indicator 3 and the light emitting surface 51 of the indicator 5, the number of speakers 24, the lighting time and the extinguishing time when the LED light emitting unit 13 blinks for short cycle and long cycle, etc. The specific details of the configuration can be arbitrarily changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an audio apparatus according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied. It is a principal part external view which shows an indicator structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the example of the lighting state of a LED light emission part. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a vehicle-mounted audio apparatus. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the indicator structure of the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Audio equipment (electronic equipment)
2 Warning devices (other devices)
3, 5 Indicator (light guide)
11 Control unit (control means)
13 LED light emitter (light emitter)
14 switch 21 sound output unit 22 sound source 23 operation unit 24 speaker 31 light emitting surface 32 first reflecting surface (light guide structure)
33 Concave portion 34 Second reflecting surface (light guide structure)
41 Escussion (surface panel)
41A rib 41B, 41C, 41D hole 42 substrate 51 light emitting surface 52 light guide part 53 arm part 54 tip part

Claims (6)

An indicator structure that emits light on a surface panel of an electronic device,
A part of the surface panel is exposed, and a light guide is embedded so that the exposed portion can be pushed into the surface panel.
A switch for detecting an operation of pushing the light guide is provided,
Furthermore, a light emitter that emits light toward the light guide is disposed,
An electronic device indicator structure.   2. The indicator structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a switch for detecting a pressing operation from a predetermined direction, and the light guide is positioned on a predetermined direction side of the switch. .   The indicator structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the light guide has a light guide structure that guides light emitted from the light emitter to an exposed portion of the light guide. In the in-vehicle audio device with an indicator that emits light on the front panel,
The indicator is
A light guide that is partially exposed on the front panel and embedded so that the exposed portion can be pushed into the front panel;
A switch for detecting an operation of pushing in the light guide;
A light emitter that emits light toward the light guide,
Furthermore, a control means for controlling the lighting state of the light emitter is provided,
An in-vehicle audio device characterized by the above.   The control means causes the light emitter to blink at a predetermined cycle when an operation abnormality of the in-vehicle audio device occurs, and when the switch detects an operation after starting the blink, the light emitter is blinked. The in-vehicle audio device according to claim 4, wherein the in-vehicle audio device is terminated and the operation state of the in-vehicle audio device is initialized.   The control means controls an operation state of another device connected to the in-vehicle audio device according to a detection state of the switch, and lights or blinks the light emitter according to the operation state of the other device. The in-vehicle audio apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein

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