JP2015166202A - Vehicular meter device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular meter device having the function of a high-sensitivity antenna while reducing an apparent discomfort.SOLUTION: A vehicular meter device 100 to be mounted on a vehicle comprises: a display 10 part for displaying information on said vehicle; a change-over switch 70 positioned in a front face direction FD of the display part 10 and having a control knob 70a, to which an operation for changing a display by the display 10 is inputted; and a control part 20 for performing wireless communications with a portable terminal 90. The control knob 70a has the function of an antenna used for wireless communications between the portable terminal 90 and the control part 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle meter device mounted on a vehicle.

  Conventionally, a configuration in which a function of performing wireless communication is added to a vehicle meter device mounted on a vehicle is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration including a keyless entry receiver having a receiving circuit and an antenna as a kind of meter device having a wireless communication function. In Patent Document 1, an antenna that receives radio waves from a keyless entry transmitter and a receiving circuit connected to the antenna are housed in an expansion portion provided in the back direction of the display portion.

JP 2004-149036 A

  In recent years, functions that can be used in the passenger compartment have been expanded by linking a communication device such as a terminal carried by a viewer and a vehicle. Such cooperation is realized by exchanging information using wireless communication between the communication device and the vehicle. However, a communication function for performing wireless communication with a communication device is generally provided in an in-vehicle navigation device, an audio device, and the like. Therefore, in a vehicle not equipped with these devices, it has been difficult to realize cooperation between the communication device and the vehicle as described above.

  Thus, the inventors of the present invention have conceived that a meter device is provided with a communication function with a communication device. However, in a configuration in which an antenna that transmits and receives radio waves is accommodated in the back direction of the display unit as in Patent Document 1, the radio waves are blocked by shielding objects such as an inflating part and an instrument. Therefore, it has been difficult to increase the sensitivity of the antenna.

  In order to cope with such a problem, the present inventors have conceived that an antenna member forming an antenna is added to the device in a state where the antenna member is exposed to the outside from the housing of the meter device. However, if an exposed antenna member is added to the meter device arranged so as to easily enter the visual field of the viewer, the external appearance of the meter device may cause the viewer to feel uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular meter device provided with a highly sensitive antenna function while reducing an uncomfortable appearance. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the first invention is a vehicle meter device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a display unit (10) for displaying information related to the vehicle, and a front direction (FD) of the display unit. An operation mechanism (70) having an input unit (70a) for inputting an operation for changing the display on the display unit, and a communication control unit (20) for performing wireless communication with the communication device (90). The input unit has a function of an antenna that performs at least one of transmission and reception for radio waves used for wireless communication between the communication device and the communication control unit.

  Like this invention, the input part into which the operation which changes the display of a display part is input is set as the structure exposed outside in the said meter apparatus so that it can operate by the viewer of the vehicle meter apparatus. Therefore, since the input unit has an antenna function, radio waves used for wireless communication with the communication device are not easily blocked by the shield. Therefore, a highly sensitive antenna can be formed in the vehicle meter device.

  In addition, since the input unit has an existing configuration in which the display by the display unit is changed, addition of a member forming the antenna to the vehicle meter device appearance can be avoided. Therefore, the appearance of the vehicle meter device is maintained even if the function of the antenna is added. Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly sensitive antenna function to the meter device while reducing the uncomfortable appearance of the vehicle meter device.

  Note that the reference numbers in the parentheses are merely examples of correspondences with specific configurations in the embodiments to be described later in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and limit the scope of the present invention. It is not a thing.

It is a figure for demonstrating arrangement | positioning in the vehicle interior of the combination meter and head-up display apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically each front view of a combination meter and a portable terminal, and the outline | summary of a mobile communication network. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a combination meter. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2, for illustrating the configuration of an operation knob having an antenna function. It is a figure which shows the state by which the pressing operation to the back direction was added to the operation knob. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process by which vehicle information is transmitted to the exterior of a vehicle by cooperation of a combination meter and a portable terminal.

  A combination meter 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is a vehicle meter device that displays various information related to the vehicle. The combination meter 100 is accommodated in an instrument panel provided in the vehicle interior of the vehicle, and is disposed with the front side shown in FIG. 1 facing the driver's seat side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 10 of the combination meter 100 is configured by combining a number of telltales including two pointer display units 11 and 12, a multi display unit 13, and a pairing indicator 17. Each pointer display unit 11, 12 displays information by each rotating pointer 14. The multi display unit 13 displays information using various images formed on the display screen 15. The display by the multi-display unit 13 is changed by an operation input to the steering switch 110 (see FIG. 1) and the operation knob 70a (see also FIG. 1) protruding toward the driver's seat. The plurality of telltales notify the viewer of various information by causing each design portion 17a to emit light.

  The combination meter 100 is connected to a head-up display device (hereinafter “HUD device”) 120 shown in FIG. The HUD device 120 is accommodated in an instrument panel located in front of the vehicle with respect to the driver's seat. The HUD device 120 displays an image of the image by projecting the image toward the projection area 122 defined in the window shield 121. The image data projected by the HUD device 120 is output from the combination meter 100 to the HUD device 120. For example, a navigation image 123 or the like that guides the traveling direction to go to the destination is displayed as a virtual image in the projection area 122 by the HUD device 120.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the combination meter 100 can perform wireless communication with a portable terminal 90 in the vicinity of the vehicle inside or outside the vehicle interior. The portable terminal 90 can perform wireless communication over a long distance with the base station 191 that forms the mobile communication network 190. The mobile communication network 190 is connected to a facility installed outside the vehicle, for example, a server installed in a dealer 192 and a call center 193 through a fixed line. The portable terminal 90 can acquire various information from the outside of the vehicle and transmit the information to the outside of the vehicle through the mobile communication network 190.

  Such communication between the portable terminal 90 and the combination meter 100 is performed by Bluetooth (registered trademark) which is a short-range wireless communication standard using a 2.4 GHz band, for example. The state of wireless communication between the portable terminal 90 and the combination meter 100 is notified to the viewer by the pairing indicator 17 included in the display unit 10. The design portion 17a of the pairing indicator 17 is lit and displayed based on the completion of the pairing between the mobile terminal 90 and the combination meter 100. When the pairing is completed, an image substantially the same as the liquid crystal display 91 of the mobile terminal 90 can be displayed on the multi display unit 13.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the combination meter 100 includes a stepper motor (not shown) that drives each pointer 14 (see FIG. 2), a liquid crystal display 16, a light emitting diode 18, and a control unit 20 as an electrical configuration. ing. The liquid crystal display 16 is a dot matrix type display device having a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally along the display screen 15. The liquid crystal display 16 is connected to the control unit 20 and displays an image on the display screen 15 based on a control signal output from the control unit 20. The light emitting diode 18 is a light source that emits light of a specific color, and causes the pairing indicator 17 to emit light. The light emitting diode 18 is connected to the control unit 20 and emits light based on a control signal output from the control unit 20.

  The control unit 20 is configured by a microcomputer or the like that operates according to a program. The control unit 20 includes a communication interface for exchanging information with the in-vehicle local area network (LAN) 130, a video output interface for outputting video to the HUD device 120, and a communication interface for performing wireless communication with the mobile terminal 90. . In addition to the steering switch 110 described above, an in-vehicle device 170 mounted on the vehicle, for example, a body control device 160, an engine control device 150, an airbag control device 140, and the like are connected to the in-vehicle LAN 130. The control unit 20 acquires vehicle information output to the in-vehicle LAN 130 and information outside the vehicle transmitted from the mobile terminal 90, and sends control signals based on the acquired information to each stepper motor, the liquid crystal display 16, and the light emitting diode 18. Output to.

  Next, the mechanical configuration of the combination meter 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. The combination meter 100 includes a display board 40, a circuit board 50, a housing 60, and the like. In the following description, a direction from the circuit board 50 toward the display board 40 along the thickness direction of the circuit board 50 is defined as a front direction FD, and a direction opposite to the front direction FD is defined as a back direction BD.

  The display board 40 is formed by performing light-shielding printing on a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate formed into a sheet shape. The display board 40 is provided with a plurality of design portions 17 a including those of the pairing indicator 17. The design portion 17a is formed by performing translucent printing instead of light shielding printing. The design portion 17a emits light by transmitting light irradiated from the back direction BD in the front direction FD.

  The circuit board 50 is formed in a plate shape and is arranged in a posture along the display board 40. A control unit 20 (see FIG. 3) is formed on the circuit board 50. Among the both plate surfaces of the circuit board 50, a plurality of electronic components constituting a circuit such as the light emitting diode 18 (see FIG. 3) and the control unit 20 are mounted on one mounting surface 51 facing the front direction FD. . These electronic components are electrically connected to each other by a wiring pattern formed on the circuit board 50.

  The housing 60 forms the external appearance of the combination meter 100, and protects them from dust and dirt in the atmosphere by housing each component of the meter 100. The housing 60 is configured by assembling a front panel 68, a rear case 69, and the like to a support member 61 that holds the circuit board 50.

  In the combination meter 100 described so far, the operation knob 70a has an antenna function for transmitting and receiving radio waves used for wireless communication between the portable terminal 90 and the control unit 20 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the details of the selector switch 70 having the operation knob 70a will be described based on FIGS. 4 and 5 with reference to FIG.

  The operation knob 70 a is positioned in the front direction FD of the display unit 10 by protruding from the display panel 40 in the region in the front direction FD. A pressing operation to be pushed in the back direction BD is input to the operation knob 70a by a viewer's finger or the like. When such a pressing operation is input to the operation knob 70a, for example, a trip meter displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 is switched among a plurality. Further, by continuously pressing the operation knob 70a for a predetermined time or longer, the numerical value of the trip meter being displayed is reset.

  The changeover switch 70 having the above operation knob 70 a is placed on the mounting surface 51 and fixed by the circuit board 50. The changeover switch 70 includes a knob member 71, an antenna wire 72, a terminal 73, a contact plate 74, a spring 75, a knob case 76, a tactile switch 77, and a switch case 78.

  The knob member 71 forms an operation knob 70 a located in the front direction FD of the display unit 10. The knob member 71 is formed in a rod shape from a flexible material such as a rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer resin or polyacetal resin. The knob member 71 is supported by the knob case 76 and the spring 75 in a posture along the axial direction in the front direction FD. The knob member 71 can be displaced in the back direction BD by an input of a pressing operation. The knob member 71 is formed with a base portion 71a and an extending portion 71b.

  The base portion 71a is formed in a bowl shape by one end portion located in the back direction BD out of both axial end portions of the knob member 71. In the base portion 71a, a concave portion 71c is formed on the end surface facing the mounting surface 51. The recess 71 c is a concave recess that accommodates the contact plate 74.

  The extending portion 71b extends in a columnar shape from the base portion 71a toward the front direction FD. The extending portion 71b is inserted into the through holes 40a and 68a provided in the display panel 40 and the front panel 68, respectively. The extending portion 71b has a leading end protruding in the front direction FD by several centimeters from the front panel 68. The extending portion 71b is exposed to the outside of the housing 60 so that the viewer can perform a pressing operation.

  The antenna wire 72 is formed of a conductive wire material. The antenna wire 72 is insert-molded as a core material inside the knob member 71. The antenna wire 72 is embedded in the extending portion 71b in a state of extending linearly along the axial direction of the extending portion 71b. The length of the antenna line 72 is adjusted so as to easily resonate with radio waves having a frequency used for wireless communication.

  The terminal 73 is formed in a shallow cylindrical container shape by bending a metal thin plate material. The terminal 73 is insert-molded in the knob member 71 together with the antenna wire 72 while being connected to the antenna wire 72. The terminal 73 is embedded in the center of the recess 71 c and is exposed on the outer surface of the knob member 71.

  The contact plate 74 is formed in a disk shape from a metal material. The contact plate 74 is press-fitted into the recess 71c. The contact plate 74 is formed with a retainer portion 74a, a fitting portion 74b, and a contact portion 74c. The retainer portion 74a is a main body portion of the contact plate 74, and is in contact with the spring 75 from the front direction FD. The retainer portion 74 a pushes the spring 75 in the back direction BD by inputting a pressing operation to the knob member 71.

  The fitting portion 74b protrudes in a columnar shape from the center of the retainer portion 74a in the front direction FD. By fitting the contact plate 74 into the recess 71 c, the fitting portion 74 b is fitted into the terminal 73. When the fitting portion 74 b is fitted to the terminal 73, conduction between the contact plate 74 and the terminal 73 is formed.

  The contact portion 74c protrudes in a columnar shape from the center of the retainer portion 74a in the back direction BD. The contact portion 74 c is located in the front direction FD of the tactile switch 77 and faces the tactile switch 77 with a gap. The contact portion 74 c comes into contact with the tactile switch 77 due to the displacement of the knob member 71 in the back direction BD.

  The spring 75 is formed by winding a wire made of a conductive metal material into a cylindrical spiral shape. The spring 75 is positioned between the knob member 71 and the circuit board 50 in a state where the spring 75 is compressed between the mounting surface 51 and the contact plate 74. The spring 75 pushes back the knob member 71 displaced in the back direction BD by the pressing operation in the front direction FD by a restoring force. The spring 75 is placed on the surface wiring 52 exposed on the mounting surface 51. The surface wiring 52 is electrically connected to the communication interface of the control unit 20. Along with the contact plate 74 and the surface wiring 52, the spring 75 forms at least a part of the antenna wiring 21 (see FIG. 3) that electrically connects the antenna line 72 and the control unit 20.

  The knob case 76 is formed in a box shape with a bottom using a resin material or the like. The knob case 76 is placed on the mounting surface 51. The knob case 76 houses a base portion 71a, a spring 75, a switch case 78, and the like. The knob case 76 has an opening 76a and a stopper 76b.

  The opening 76 a is provided at the center of the bottom of the knob case 76. The opening 76a is a through-hole penetrating the bottom, and the extending portion 71b is inserted in the front direction FD. The stopper portion 76b is a peripheral portion of the opening portion 76a and contacts the base portion 71a urged in the front direction FD by the spring 75. The stopper portion 76b prevents the base portion 71a from being detached from the knob case 76 by restricting the movement of the base portion 71a in the front direction FD.

  The tactile switch 77 is connected to the control unit 20 and the ground potential through a wiring pattern formed on the circuit board 50 (see FIG. 3). The tactile switch 77 has a pushing portion 77a. When the pushing portion 77a is not pushed, the tactile switch 77 is turned off (opened). When the pushing portion 77a is pushed, the tactile switch 77 is switched to an on (closed) state.

  The tactile switch 77 is attached to the mounting surface 51 at a position where the pushing portion 77a faces the contact portion 74c. The distance between the pushing portion 77a and the contact portion 74c disappears due to the displacement of the knob member 71 in the back direction BD due to the pressing operation. And the pushing part 77a which contacted the contact part 74c by the further displacement to the back direction BD of the knob member 71 is pushed in the back direction BD by the said contact part 74c. In this way, the control unit 20 detects a change in potential that occurs when the tactile switch 77 is turned on.

  The switch case 78 is formed in a bottomed box shape with a resin material or the like. The switch case 78 is accommodated in a space defined by the mounting surface 51, the spring 75, and the contact plate 74, and is placed on the mounting surface 51. A tactile switch 77 is accommodated in the switch case 78. The switch case 78 restricts the displacement of the spring 75 in each direction along the mounting surface 51 by being positioned on the inner peripheral side of the spring 75. The switch case 78 has an opening 78a. The opening 78a is a through hole that is provided at the center of the bottom of the switch case 78 and penetrates the bottom. By allowing the opening 78a and the contact portion 74c to pass in the back direction BD, the pushing operation of the pushing portion 77a by the contact portion 74c is enabled.

  Next, a flow of processing in which vehicle information is transmitted to the outside of the vehicle by cooperation of the combination meter 100 and the portable terminal 90 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 using the sequence diagram shown in FIG. . In the process described below, it is assumed that the vehicle, the combination meter 100, and the portable terminal 90 are each turned on, and that the pairing between the combination meter 100 and the portable terminal 90 is completed. Further, it is assumed that a dealer 192 and a call center 193 outside the vehicle are also in operation.

  First, any of the in-vehicle devices 170 outputs vehicle information to the in-vehicle LAN 130 (t1). The control unit 20 of the combination meter 100 acquires the vehicle information output to the in-vehicle LAN 130, and determines whether the acquired vehicle information is information that needs to be transmitted to the outside (t2). When it is determined that transmission is necessary, the control unit 20 generates data for transmission by combining the acquired vehicle information with a unique number (hereinafter, “vehicle ID”) for identifying the host vehicle. (T3). This transmission data is transmitted from the combination meter 100 to the portable terminal 90.

  Here, the vehicle information transmitted to the outside includes airbag deployment information output from the airbag control device 140, abnormality information and maintenance information output from the engine control device 150, the body control device 160, and the like. It is done. Note that information transmitted to the outside of the vehicle is not limited to such information.

  The mobile terminal 90 that has received the data for transmission reads the data (t5) and determines whether or not a transmission condition is satisfied from the contents of the vehicle information (t6). For example, when the airbag deployment information and some abnormality information are notified, there is a possibility of an accident and a failure, so that the transmission condition is satisfied immediately. On the other hand, when the maintenance information is notified, the history information stored in the mobile terminal 90 is referred to, and when traveling a certain distance from the previous maintenance, or when a certain period has elapsed since the previous maintenance In addition, the transmission condition is satisfied.

  When the transmission condition is satisfied, the mobile terminal 90 combines the acquired vehicle ID and vehicle information with GPS data indicating the current position of the mobile terminal 90 (hereinafter “position information”), history information, and the like. Credit data is generated (t7). Furthermore, the portable terminal 90 selects an external organization that notifies the information according to the contents of the vehicle information (t7). Then, the generated transmission data is transmitted to the selected notification destination (t8). The above processing is realized by an application that runs on the mobile terminal 90. Regardless of whether the transmission condition is satisfied, the portable terminal 90 accumulates the acquired vehicle information as history information in the storage area.

  In the agencies such as the dealer 192 and the call center 193 notified of the vehicle information from the portable terminal 90, a corresponding process is performed (t10). Specifically, based on the contents of the notified vehicle information, telephone contact to the portable terminal 90, arrangement of an emergency vehicle to the site in the position information, formulation of a maintenance schedule, etc. are performed as corresponding processing.

  In the present embodiment described so far, since the operation knob 70a exposed to the outside from the housing 60 of the combination meter 100 has an antenna function, radio waves used for wireless communication with the portable terminal 90 are It becomes difficult to be blocked by a shield such as 60. Therefore, a highly sensitive antenna can be formed in the combination meter 100.

  In addition, since the operation knob 70a is an existing configuration that changes the display of the trip meter, the addition of the member forming the antenna to the exterior of the combination meter 100 can be avoided. Therefore, the appearance of the combination meter 100 is maintained even if an antenna function is added. Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly sensitive antenna function to the meter 100 while reducing the uncomfortable appearance of the combination meter 100.

  In addition, as in the present embodiment, most of the operation knob 70 a that extends in a rod shape and protrudes from the front panel 68 is exposed to the outside of the housing 60. Therefore, the combination meter 100 can acquire sufficient sensitivity for wireless communication with the portable terminal 90 even when the operation knob 70a also has a function of an antenna.

  In addition, as in the present embodiment, if the operation knob 70a is input with a finger or the like to be pushed in the back direction BD, a situation in which the entire knob member 71 is covered with the finger or the like is unlikely to occur. The operation knob 70a is only partially covered even during operation input. Therefore, the deterioration of the antenna sensitivity caused by the viewer's fingers or the like blocking radio waves is less likely to occur. Therefore, an antenna capable of maintaining high sensitivity can be formed in the combination meter 100 even during an operation for changing the display.

  Furthermore, the operation knob 70a in this embodiment has an antenna function by embedding the antenna wire 72 in the knob member 71. As described above, if the antenna wire 72 is not exposed to the outer surface, the antenna wire 72 can be protected from fingers by the knob member 71, and therefore the antenna function of the operation knob 70a can obtain high reliability.

  In addition, since the spring 75 of this embodiment is configured to push the knob member 71 back in the front direction FD, the contact plate 74 held by the knob member 71 by its own restoring force, the surface wiring 52 of the circuit board 50, It is possible to securely adhere to both. Therefore, if the spring 75 is used as the antenna wiring 21 that electrically connects the antenna line 72 and the control unit 20, the electrical connection between the antenna line 72 and the control unit 20 can be achieved even when the knob member 71 is displaced by the pressing operation. The connection is reliably maintained. Therefore, even during operation input to the operation knob 70a, wireless communication between the portable terminal 90 and the control unit 20 is stably performed.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, a state in which wireless communication between the mobile terminal 90 and the control unit 20 is possible is clearly indicated to the viewer by the pairing indicator 17. Therefore, even in a state where it is difficult to remove the line of sight from the front, such as during driving, the viewer can check the wireless communication state without operating the mobile terminal 90.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 20 can cooperate with the portable terminal 90 that can communicate with the dealer 192, the call center 193, and the like outside the vehicle. Therefore, the control unit 20 can transmit various information acquired from the in-vehicle device 170 to the dealer 192 and the call center 193 through the mobile terminal 90. By utilizing such a function, the convenience of the vehicle user who is the viewer of the combination meter 100 can be further enhanced.

  In this embodiment, the pairing indicator 17 corresponds to the “indicator” described in the claims, the control unit 20 corresponds to the “communication control unit” described in the claims, and the antenna wiring 21 This corresponds to “wiring” recited in the claims. Further, the changeover switch 70 corresponds to the “operation mechanism” described in the claims, the operation knob 70a corresponds to the “input unit” described in the claims, and the knob member 71 described in the claims. Corresponds to “movable member”. Further, the spring 75 corresponds to the “spring member” described in the claims, the combination meter 100 corresponds to the “vehicle meter device” described in the claims, and the portable terminal 90 corresponds to the claims. This corresponds to the “communication device” described.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although one embodiment by the present invention was described, the present invention is not interpreted limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and is applied to various embodiments and combinations within the range which does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. be able to.

  In the above embodiment, the operation knob 70a formed in a rod shape and movable in the axial direction is an “input unit”, and the operation knob 70a has an antenna function. However, as long as it is exposed from the housing, the form and arrangement of the “input unit” are not limited to those described above. For example, the movable member movable by the pressing operation may be a disk-shaped or rectangular plate-shaped push button. Further, the operation input to the “input unit” is not limited to the pressing operation, and may be a rotating operation. Specifically, the operation knob described above may be rotatable in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, a cylindrical dial or the like may be rotatably installed on the housing. Furthermore, the position where the “input unit” is provided may not be the lower corner of the display unit as described above, and can be changed as appropriate according to the arrangement of the pointer display unit and the multi display unit.

  In the said embodiment, the antenna wire 72 was embed | buried in the state extended by linear form by insert-molding to the knob member 71. FIG. However, the antenna line may be accommodated together with the fixing member in a cylindrical inner space formed in the knob member, for example, in a state of being fixed to the rod-shaped fixing member.

  Moreover, the form of the antenna wire is not limited to the above-described linear shape, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, an antenna wire having a loop shape or a spiral shape may be embedded in the “input unit” having a push button shape. In addition, instead of the linear antenna wire, an antenna pattern formed in a foil shape may be formed on the inside or the outer surface of the “input unit”.

  Furthermore, the specific configuration for giving the antenna function to the operation knob can be changed as appropriate. For example, the function of the antenna may be realized by applying a conductive paint to the surface of the “input unit”. Alternatively, the antenna function of the “input unit” may be realized by forming a part or all of the “input unit” with a conductive resin material or a metal material.

  The operation knob 70a of the above embodiment has only the function of a Bluetooth antenna. However, radio waves that can be transmitted and received through the “input unit” are not limited to Bluetooth radio waves. For example, 315 MHz or 433.92 MHz radio waves used for keyless entry and the like, 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band radio waves used for wireless LAN, and the like can be transmitted and received by an “input unit” provided with an antenna function.

  In addition, a plurality of “input units” having different frequency bands of radio waves that can be transmitted and received can be provided in the combination meter. Alternatively, an antenna function for transmitting and receiving radio waves in different frequency bands may be given to one “input unit” by a configuration in which a plurality of antenna wires having different lengths are embedded in the knob member. Further, the function of the antenna provided to the “input unit” may be only one of radio wave transmission and reception.

  In the above embodiment, the coiled spring 75 is used as the “spring member” for returning the knob member to the front direction FD. However, the “spring member” can be appropriately changed to a leaf spring, a torsion spring, or the like. Further, the continuity between the antenna line and the control unit may be formed without using such a “spring member”.

  Although the example in which the combination meter 100 cooperates with the portable terminal 90 has been described in the above embodiment, the communication device that performs wireless communication with the combination meter is not limited to the portable terminal 90 described above. For example, a tablet terminal, a music player, a notebook personal computer, or the like that does not communicate with the mobile communication network may perform wireless communication with the combination meter as a communication device. Alternatively, a mobile router having a relay function between in-vehicle wireless communication and mobile communication outside the vehicle may perform wireless communication with a combination meter as a communication device.

  In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which vehicle information acquired by the control unit can be transmitted to the outside of the vehicle through the portable terminal by linking the combination meter and the portable terminal. However, the function that can be realized by the cooperation of the meter and the portable terminal is not limited to the transmission of vehicle information as described above.

  For example, the door of the vehicle can be locked and unlocked from the outside of the vehicle by operating the mobile terminal. Alternatively, with the liquid crystal display 16 of the combination meter 100 displaying substantially the same image as the liquid crystal display 91 of the portable terminal 90 (see FIG. 2), the portable terminal 90 is turned on by input to the steering switch 110 (see FIG. 1). Can be operated remotely.

  Furthermore, according to the stabilization of wireless communication, a part of arithmetic processing performed by the control unit when not communicating with the mobile terminal is allocated to the control unit of the mobile terminal having higher arithmetic processing capability than the control unit. Can do. Specifically, a rendering process of an image displayed by the HUD device 120 (see FIG. 1) and an image displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 (see FIG. 2) may be performed by the control unit of the mobile terminal. .

  In the above embodiment, the pairing indicator 17 (see FIG. 2) clearly indicates to the viewer that the communication is possible, but the display notifying the communication state is the multi-display unit 13 (see FIG. 2). Etc. can also be performed. If the communication state can be displayed on the mobile terminal, the display of the combination meter may be omitted. Further, information on whether or not communication is possible may be notified to the viewer by voice or the like instead of being displayed by the display unit.

  In the above embodiment, the function of the “communication control unit” provided by the control unit 20 that has executed the program may be provided by hardware and software different from the above-described configuration, or a combination thereof. For example, the above-described function of performing wireless communication with a communication device may be provided by a circuit that performs a predetermined function without depending on a program.

  In the above, the example which provided the antenna function to the meter 100 by applying this invention to the combination meter 100 provided in a vehicle interior was demonstrated. However, the present invention is also applicable to a vehicular meter device that is mounted on a two-wheeled vehicle or the like that has no passenger compartment and is difficult to install a navigation device or audio equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Display part, 17 Pairing indicator (indicator), 20 Control part (communication control part), 21 Antenna wiring (wiring), 50 Circuit board, 70 Changeover switch (operation mechanism), 70a Operation knob (input part), 71 knob Member (movable member), 72 antenna wire, 75 spring (spring member), 90 portable terminal (communication device), 100 combination meter (vehicle meter device), 170 in-vehicle device, 190 mobile communication network, FD front direction, BD Back direction

Claims (7)

A vehicle meter device mounted on a vehicle,
A display unit (10) for displaying information relating to the vehicle;
An operation mechanism (70) having an input unit (70a) that is located in the front direction (FD) of the display unit and receives an operation for changing the display on the display unit;
A communication control unit (20) for performing wireless communication with the communication device (90),
The vehicle meter device, wherein the input unit has a function of an antenna that performs at least one of transmission and reception for radio waves used for wireless communication between the communication device and the communication control unit.   The vehicular meter device according to claim 1, wherein the input unit has a rod shape extending along the front direction.   The operation of changing the display of the display unit to the input unit is performed by pressing a pressing operation in a back direction (BD) opposite to the front direction. The vehicle meter device according to one item.   The vehicular meter device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an antenna wire (72) formed of a conductive wire is embedded in the input portion. A circuit board (50) on which the communication control unit is formed,
The operating mechanism is
A movable member (71) that is displaced in the back direction by a pressing operation that pushes in the back direction (BD) opposite to the front direction as an operation to form the input unit and change the display of the display unit,
A spring member (75) formed of a conductive material, located between the movable member and the circuit board, and for pushing back the movable member displaced in the back direction by the pressing operation in the front direction. And
5. The vehicular meter device according to claim 4, wherein the spring member forms at least a part of a wiring (21) that electrically connects the antenna line and the communication control unit. 6.   The said display part has an indicator (17) which displays the state of the radio | wireless communication between the said communication apparatus and the said communication control part, For vehicles as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Meter device. The communication device can communicate with the outside of the vehicle via a mobile communication network (190).
The information acquired by the communication control unit from the in-vehicle device (170) mounted on the vehicle is transmitted to the outside of the vehicle through the communication device. The vehicle meter device described in 1.

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