JP3182982B2 - Automotive system operating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system operating device for an automobile, and is particularly useful when applied to a case where a cluster switch is provided at a front portion of a handle of an instrument panel (hereinafter, simply referred to as an instrument panel).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing an example of a front portion of a steering wheel of an instrument panel of an automobile. As shown in the figure, a tachometer 5 is provided at a front portion of the handle 6 of the instrument panel 7.
a, a meter unit 5 having a speedometer 5b and the like, and a cluster switch 11 provided around the meter unit 5
a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, etc. are provided. Each of the cluster switches 11a to 11f has an operation function set in advance at the time of manufacture. For example, the cluster switch 11a is preset for a hazard, and the cluster switch 11b is preset for a rear defogger.

[0003]

However, some of the cluster switches 11a to 11f are rarely used by some drivers. As described above, despite the fact that the cluster switches 11a to 11f are provided at positions closest to the driver and can be easily operated, there are some switches that are not often used in this way. Is not optimal from the viewpoint of efficiently utilizing and realizing an easy-to-use, user-friendly operation environment.

An object of the present invention, in view of the above prior art, is to provide an automobile system operating device which can contribute to realizing a user-friendly operating environment which is easy to use.

[0005]

Configuration of the present invention to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the first when the driver has readily operable located provided <br/> is Rutotomoni, touched on the driver
Outputs 1 signal and outputs 2nd signal when pressed
A plurality of operation switches, a display device which is provided at a position where the driver can easily recognize the operation switches, and displays each operation function of the plurality of operation switches, and various systems mounted on each of the plurality of operation switches. Operation function can be arbitrarily registered, and the second operation function can be registered according to the first signal.
And causing the display device to display an operation function corresponding to the operation switch that has output the signal No. 1 and the second signal.
In response to the operation switch that has output the second signal.
Control means for outputting an operation signal to a corresponding system.

[0006]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the control means registers an operation function according to a driver's request and display data representing the operation function for each operation switch. As a result, the driver can perform a desired operation on the system corresponding to each of the operation switches by the operation switches. In this case, since the operation function of the operation switch is displayed on the display device, the driver can operate while confirming this.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.
It has a control unit 2, a display device 3, and a target system 4.

As shown in FIG. 7, there are six cluster switches 1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1) around the meter section 5, as in the cluster switches 11a to 11f shown in FIG.
e, 1f) is provided and is the closest to the driver,
A switch that can be easily operated. In addition, each of the cluster switches 1a to 1f is provided with a touch sensor, that is, a sensor for detecting a change in capacitance, light blocking, or the like when a driver's finger touches the cluster switches 1a to 1f.

Therefore, for example, if the driver
When the user touches the switch 1a, the cluster switch 1a
Cluster switch touch signal to troll unit 2
No. S ₁Is output. Next, the driver
When the switch 1a is pressed, the cluster switch 1a
From the control unit 2 to the cluster switch O
N signal S_TwoIs output. Other cluster switches 1b ~
1f is the same as the cluster switch 1a.

The target system 4 is a system to be operated by the vehicle system operating device. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an air conditioner, an audio system, a car phone, lighting, and others (hazard, rear te fogger) and the like are used. It is included in this. The target system 4 has a registration switch corresponding to each system. These registration switches are provided at the positions of the corresponding systems or collectively near the driver.

Therefore, when the driver presses any of the registration switches, the registration switch outputs a registration signal S ₄ to the control unit 2. Also from the control unit 2, for each system of the target system 4, the operation signal S ₅ is output, the system by the operation signal S ₅ plays a predetermined function.

As shown in FIG. 7, the display device 3 is provided in the meter section 5 at a position where the driver can easily see the display. The display device 3 includes the control unit 2
The display data S ₃ output from the displays each operating function of cluster switches 1 a - 1 f.

The control unit 2 has a cluster switch operation function registration table 2a and an operation function / display data table 2b, and is installed below the instrument panel 7 shown in FIG. This control unit 2
Are the cluster switch touch signal S ₁ and the registration signal S ₄
And selects one of the target systems 4 from the operation function / display data table 2b based on these signals, and stores the operation function and display data representing this operation function in the cluster switch operation function registration table 2a. Register with. After the registration, the control unit 2 inputs the cluster switch touch signal S ₁ , outputs the display data S ₃ to the display device 3 based on the signal, and outputs the display data S ₃ to the corresponding one of the cluster switches _{1 a} to ₁ f. The operation functions are displayed, and the display of the operation functions is sequentially changed in color. Then the cluster to switch ON signal S _2, on the basis of this signal, relative to the target system, the operation signal S corresponding to the operation function display that color change
Output ₅

A specific example of the operation function / display data table 2b will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the instrument panel 7 shown in FIG.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation part of a general air conditioner and audio provided in the lower part etc. of FIG. As shown in the figure, various operation switches are provided on the operation units of the air conditioner and the audio.

In the figure, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5
A6, A7, A8 and A9 are switches for performing operations of an auto air conditioner, internal air circulation, temperature setting up, temperature setting down, air conditioner stop, defroster, air volume up, air volume down and air outlet switching, respectively, and B1. , B
2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8 and B9 are
Operation switches for FM / AM switching, music selection, tape reproduction, tape ejection, frequency up, frequency down, tape fast forward, tape rewind, and traffic information selection.

The operation function / display data table 2b includes:
As shown in FIG. 3, operation functions equivalent to such operation switches and display data representing the operation functions are set in advance. In addition, as the operation function and the display data representing the operation function, the start C ₁ , the end C ₂ and the transmission C _{3 of the} car phone shown in FIG. 4C, and the lighting C shown in FIG. The tail lamp D ₁ , low beam D ₂ and high beam D ₃ , and other hazards E ₁ and rear defogger E ₂ shown in FIG. 4 (E) are preset in the operation function / display data table 2b.

Next, a specific example of the registration and operation procedures in the above embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the registration procedure will be described with reference to FIG. The following is an example of registering an audio operation function and display data representing the operation function in the target system 4 to the cluster switch 1a.

(1) The registration switch corresponding to the audio among the registration switches of the target system 4 is pressed. As a result, a registration switch signal S ₄ is output from the registration switch to the control unit 2. For this reason, the control unit 2 determines that there is registered a switch signal S _4, the process proceeds to step 102. Here, if no registration switch is pressed, the registration switch signal S ₄
It is determined that there has been no, and the registration process ends. (See Step 101) (2) Touch the cluster switch 1a. As a result cluster switch touch signal S ₁ is the cluster switch 1a
Is output to the control unit 2. For this reason, the control unit 2 judges that there is a cluster switch touch signal S _1, the process proceeds to the next step 103.
Note here given time, if both are touched cluster switch 1 a - 1 f, is determined that the cluster switch touch signals S ₁ there is no, the registration process ends. (Refer to step 102) (3) As the operation function corresponding to the cluster switch 1a and the display data representing the operation function, the audio operation function shown in FIG. Display data (B
_{1 to} B ₉ ) are cluster switch operation function registration tables 2
a, and the registration process ends. (See step 103)

Similarly, the other cluster switches 1b to 1f
And the display data representing this operation function can be newly registered.

Next, the operation procedure will be described with reference to FIG. The following is an example of a case where the FM / AM switching operation of audio is performed by the cluster switch 1a after the above-described registration is performed on the cluster switch 1a.

(1) Touch the cluster switch 1a. As a result, the cluster switch touch signal S ₁ is output from the cluster switch 1 a to the control unit 2. For this reason, the control unit 2 judges that there is a cluster switch touch signal S _1, the process proceeds to step 112. Here, the cluster switches 1a to 1f
If none of have to be touched, it is determined that the cluster switch touch signals S ₁ there is no, the operation process ends.
(See step 111) (2) Operation function of cluster switch 1a, ie, FIG.
It is determined whether or not various operation functions of audio are displayed on the display device 3 (B _{1 to} B ₉ ) as shown in FIG.
If it is not displayed, the display data S3 is output to the display device ₃ to display various operation functions of the audio, and the process proceeds to the next step 114. (Step 11
2 and 113) For reference, FIG.
After registering the operation function of the air conditioner shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 shows a display state of the display device 3 when “b” is touched.

(3) _One of the displays (B _{1 to} B ₉ ) of the various operation functions displayed on the display device 3 is changed in color. Then the display of the operation function that color change is any display B ₁ of the desired FM / AM switching operation functions as shown in FIG. 7, after confirming it, presses the cluster switch 1a. As a result, from the cluster switch 1a to the control unit 2
Cluster switch ON signal S ₂ is outputted to. Therefore, in the control unit 2, the cluster switch is turned on.
After determining that there is a signal S _2, and outputs an operation signal S ₅ for performing FM / AM switching operation to the audio, the process proceeds to step 117. Thus FM / A of audio
M switching is performed. When the cluster switch 1a is not pressed because the display of the color-changed operation function is not desired, the display of various operation functions (A _{1 to} A ₉ ) is sequentially performed at a constant cycle. Change the color. (Step 114, 115, 116 refer) Note 8 shows a state in which the display A ₃ of the air conditioner temperature setting up operation function is color change. (4) Finally, the display of the operation function on the operation device 3 is erased, and the operation processing ends.

Similarly, the other cluster switches 1b-1
The operation of f can also be performed.

In the above embodiment, the cluster switches 1a to 1f are provided around the meter section 5 as shown in FIG.
The display device 3 is provided in the meter unit 5, but is not limited to this, and the cluster switches 1 a to 1.
f may be any position where the driver can easily operate, and the display device 3 may be any position where the driver can easily view it.

In the above embodiment, the color change of the operation function display on the display device 3 is performed at regular intervals. However, this may be performed every time the cluster switches 1a to 1f are touched. In this case, the display is not erased immediately after the finger is released from the cluster switches 1a to 1f.

In the above embodiment, one cluster switch can perform a relatively large number of operations, for example, nine operations as shown in FIG. 3B for audio, but of course the most frequent operations are performed. May be registered. For example, one or several types of various operation functions shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 and display data representing the operation functions may be registered in one cluster switch. Note At that time, instead of the registration switch of a target system 4, by operating the operating switches _{A 1 ~A 9, B 1 ~B} 9 as shown in FIG. 2, the operation switch equivalent operation function The display data representing the operation function may be registered in each of the cluster switches 1a to 1f.

[0029]

As described above in detail with the embodiments, according to the present invention, the operation function of the operation switch close to the driver and easily operable can be arbitrarily set according to the driver's request. Can be set. In addition, since the display device for displaying the operation function of the operation switch is provided at an easily visible position, the driver can perform a desired operation only by looking at the display of the display device without looking at the operation switch. It can be carried out. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the realization of a user-friendly operation environment that is easy to use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a general operation unit of an air conditioner and an audio, which are examples of a target system.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing operation functions of an air conditioner and an audio set in an operation function / display data table and display data representing the operation functions.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a car phone, lighting and other operation functions set in an operation function / display data table, and display data representing the operation functions.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a registration procedure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when an operation function (various audio operation functions) of the cluster switch 1a is displayed.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when an operation function of the cluster switch 1b (various operation functions of the air conditioner) is displayed.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a cluster switch according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a to 1f Cluster switch 2 Control unit 3 Display device 4 Target system

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A driver provided easily operable position Rutotomoni, when touched on the driver
Outputs the first signal and outputs the second signal when pressed.
A plurality of operation switches to be pressed; a display device provided at a position where the driver can easily recognize the operation switches; and a display device for displaying each operation function of the plurality of operation switches. the system operation function be capable of arbitrarily registered, the first
In response to the first signal, an operation function corresponding to the operation switch that has output the first signal is displayed on the display device, and the second signal is displayed in response to the second signal.
Control means for outputting an operation signal to a system corresponding to the output operation switch .