JP4804390B2 - Rotation amount determination device and computer program used for the device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotation amount determination device capable of determining the rotation amount of a rotary switch based on a change in a pulse signal detected every predetermined time by a rotary encoder, and a computer program used in the device.

  Conventionally, a method using a rotary encoder is known as a method for determining the amount of rotation of a rotary switch (hereinafter referred to as a rotary switch). Specifically, a disk having a radial window formed with respect to the rotation axis of the rotary switch is formed, and a light-emitting element (for example, a light-emitting diode) and a light-receiving element (for example, a phototransistor) that face each other around the disk. And “1” when the light receiving part of the light receiving element receives the light of the light emitting part of the light emitting element through the window, and “when the light of the light emitting element is blocked by the part other than the window of the disk”. The pulse signal is detected as “0”.

Generally, at least two pairs of light emitting portions of the light emitting elements and light receiving portions of the light receiving elements are provided as a pair, and the two sets of light emitting portions and light receiving portions are respectively disposed at close positions. For this reason, the state of the pulse signal detected by each light receiving unit according to the rotation of the rotary switch is shifted in the change of “1” and “0” (a phase difference is generated in the pulse signal). By detecting the state of the pulse signal (the state of the phase difference between the two pulse signals) at predetermined intervals, it is possible to determine the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the rotary switch (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). (See Patent Document 3 and Non-Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-28524 A JP 2001-28525 A Japanese Patent No. 3654064 Complete PC dismantling book Atsushi Oshima Publishing 94 pages to 95 pages

  However, when the rotary switch is rotated at a high speed, the change of “0” or “1” of the pulse signal may change at a speed greater than the detection interval (detection (sampling) cycle) of the pulse signal. Therefore, there is a possibility that an accurate change of the pulse signal cannot be detected. When it is not possible to detect an accurate change of the pulse signal in this way, it may be determined that the rotary switch has not been rotated even though the rotary switch is actually rotated. The operator who operates the rotary switch determines the actual operation amount (rotation amount) of the rotary switch and the amount of processing actually executed (the processing amount when it is determined that the rotary switch has not been rotated, etc. ) Sometimes felt uncomfortable.

  For example, when adjusting the volume of an audio device with a rotary switch, even if the operator rotates the rotary switch greatly, if the rotation speed is fast, the audio device side may indicate that the rotary switch is not rotating. In some cases, the volume was not changed at all.

  In particular, when a general operator rotates (rotates) a rotary switch to set (adjust) a predetermined set value, the rotary switch is rotated at a high speed to the vicinity of the desired set value, and the desired set value is set. There is a tendency to set the set value accurately by slowly rotating the rotary switch when approaching. Therefore, when the operator tries to change the set value by rotating the rotary switch greatly, if the situation where the rotation amount of the rotary switch is not detected in the operating device occurs, There is a possibility that the difference from the actual detection amount becomes remarkable.

  In order to solve such a problem, a method of shortening the detection interval of the pulse signal can be considered. However, if the detection interval is shortened, a large processing load is imposed on the arithmetic processing unit of the device provided with the rotary switch. There is a problem that it may affect other processing.

  In addition, a method of performing interrupt processing for pulse signal detection triggered by a change in the pulse signal is also conceivable. However, when this method is used, there is a problem in that the burden on the arithmetic processing unit increases significantly. In addition, there is a problem that the interrupt function may not be used depending on the processing capability of the arithmetic processing unit and the processing content to be prioritized.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even when the operator rotates the rotary switch at a high speed, the operator feels uncomfortable without increasing the processing load on the arithmetic processing unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation amount determination device capable of determining the rotation amount of a rotary switch and a computer program used for the device.

  In order to solve the above problems, a rotation amount determination device according to the present invention determines a rotation amount of a rotary switch based on a change in a pulse signal detected every predetermined time by a rotary encoder. The rotation amount determination device includes an error determination unit that compares a pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder with a pulse signal detected a predetermined time ago to determine a detection error of the pulse signal by the rotary encoder, and an error determination unit. When a pulse signal detection error is determined, an error monitoring time measurement unit that measures the passage of an error monitoring time that is set in advance based on the determination time, and an error monitoring time measurement unit that detects the error monitoring time A change number counting unit that counts the number of changes in the pulse signal, and an error monitoring time measuring unit to determine whether the error monitoring time has elapsed, and based on the number of changes in the pulse information counted by the change number counting unit A rotation amount determination means for determining the rotation amount of the rotary switch during the error monitoring time. And wherein the Rukoto.

  Thus, in the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention, the pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder is compared with the pulse signal detected before a predetermined time to determine the detection error of the pulse signal by the rotary encoder, When a detection error is detected, the amount of rotation of the rotary switch during the error monitoring time is determined based on the number of changes in the counted pulse information. For example, the operator can use the rotary type provided with the rotary encoder. Even when the switch or the like is rotated at a high speed, the rotation amount of the rotary switch can be determined by following the rotation operation. Thus, by determining the rotation amount of the rotary switch based on the number of changes in pulse information, the rotation amount can be determined so that the operator does not feel uncomfortable.

  In addition, when a detection error is determined, the error monitoring time measurement process is started based on the determination time, so that the rotation operation is changed to the normal operation after the operator starts rotating the rotary switch etc. quickly. By setting the time until the return is assumed as the error monitoring time, the rotation amount of the rotary switch can be suitably determined. For this reason, it is possible to determine the amount of rotation suitable for the operation pattern of the operator.

  Further, by using the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention, without making the detection interval of the pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder shorter than before, and without performing interrupt processing or the like in the arithmetic processing unit or the like, A suitable amount of rotation can be determined. For this reason, it becomes possible to suppress the processing burden of the arithmetic processing unit used in the rotation amount determination device.

  The error monitoring time may be changed according to an operator's operation pattern that can be assumed. Thus, by appropriately changing / adjusting the error monitoring time, it is possible to determine a rotation amount that makes it more difficult for the operator to feel uncomfortable.

  In the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention, the rotation amount determination means may provide a rotation amount smaller than the rotation amount calculated based on the number of changes of the pulse signal counted by the change number counting means. It may be determined as a rotation amount.

  Thus, the rotary switch rotates faster by determining the rotation amount smaller than the rotation amount calculated based on the change number of the pulse signal counted by the change number counting means as the rotation amount of the rotary switch. Even when the pulse signal changes significantly, the amount of rotation can be adjusted appropriately, and the amount of rotation at which the operator who operates the rotary switch does not feel uncomfortable can be determined. .

  The rotation amount determination means may change the amount of decrease in the rotation speed according to the length of the error monitoring time.

  For example, when the error monitoring time is short, the amount of rotation of the rotary switch that can be actually rotated is relatively small, while when the error monitoring time is long, it can be actually rotated. The range of the amount of rotation of a simple rotary switch tends to increase. For this reason, for example, when the error monitoring time is short, the amount of decrease is reduced, and when the error monitoring time is long, the amount of decrease is increased, thereby making it difficult for the operator to feel uncomfortable with the operation of the rotary switch. Is possible.

  Further, the rotation amount judging device has a normal pulse signal recording means for recording a change state of a pulse signal that can be detected when detecting a normal pulse signal according to a pulse signal detected before a predetermined time, and determining an error. Based on the change state of the pulse signal recorded in the normal pulse signal recording means, the means determines whether the detected pulse signal is a pulse signal that can be detected when the normal pulse signal is detected, and the pulse Signal error detection may be performed.

  As described above, the error determination unit determines whether the detected pulse signal is a normal pulse signal based on the change state of the pulse signal recorded in the normal pulse signal recording unit. It is possible to quickly and reliably determine the detection error.

  In addition, when the installation position and number of rotary encoders are changed, the normal detection judgment criteria of the pulse signal can be changed easily by updating the change state of the pulse signal recorded in the normal pulse signal recording means. It becomes possible to do.

  The computer program used for the computer of the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention is a rotation amount determination device that determines the rotation amount of the rotary switch based on a change in a pulse signal detected every predetermined time by a rotary encoder. An error determination process for comparing a pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder with a pulse signal detected a predetermined time before determining a detection error of the pulse signal by the rotary encoder, and a pulse signal in the error determination process. When a detection error is determined, an error monitoring time measurement process that measures the passage of a preset error monitoring time based on the determination time, and a pulse that is detected during error monitoring time measurement by the error monitoring time measurement process Error count processing that counts signal changes and errors Rotation amount determination processing for determining the completion of the error monitoring time in the viewing time measurement processing and determining the rotation amount of the rotary switch during the error monitoring time based on the number of changes in the pulse information counted by the change number counting processing It is a computer program for realizing.

  In this way, by using the computer program according to the present invention, the computer compares the pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder with the pulse signal detected a predetermined time ago, and the pulse signal detection error by the rotary encoder. When the detection error is detected, the amount of rotation of the rotary switch during the error monitoring time is determined based on the number of changes in the counted pulse information. For example, the operator installs the rotary encoder. Even when the rotary switch is rotated at a high speed, the rotation amount of the rotary switch can be determined by following the rotation operation. Thus, by determining the rotation amount of the rotary switch based on the number of changes in pulse information, the rotation amount can be determined so that the operator does not feel uncomfortable.

  In addition, when a detection error is determined, the error monitoring time measurement process is started based on the determination time, so that the rotation operation is changed to the normal operation after the operator starts rotating the rotary switch etc. quickly. By setting the time until the return is assumed as the error monitoring time, the rotation amount of the rotary switch can be suitably determined. For this reason, it is possible to determine the amount of rotation suitable for the operation pattern of the operator.

  Even when the operator rotates the rotary switch at a high speed by the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention and the computer program used for the device, the processing load on the arithmetic processing unit is not increased. It is possible to determine the rotation amount of the rotary switch so that the operator does not feel uncomfortable.

  An in-vehicle audio apparatus including a rotation amount determination device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1. The in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 includes a CD (CompactDisc) playback unit 2, an MD (MiniDisc) playback unit 3, a radio tuner unit 4, a selector unit 5, an operation unit 7, and a control unit (error determination means, error monitoring time measurement). Means, change number counting means, rotation amount determining means) 8, information recording section (normal pulse signal recording means) 9, volume changing section 10, and power amplifier 11, and the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1 includes a speaker. 12 is connected.

  The CD playback unit 2 has a function of reading and decoding a digital signal recorded on the CD medium and outputting it as an analog sound signal. The MD playback unit 3 reads and decodes the digital signal recorded on the MD media. It has a function to output as an analog sound signal. The radio tuner unit 4 has a function of outputting an AM / FM signal received via radio waves as an acoustic signal. The CD playback unit 2, MD playback unit 3, and radio tuner unit 4 perform an acoustic signal output start process based on the playback signal from the control unit 8, and an acoustic signal output stop process based on the stop signal from the control unit 8 I do. Similarly, selection of a music piece or a frequency is performed in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 8.

  In the present embodiment, the CD playback unit 2, the MD playback unit 3, and the radio tuner unit 4 are shown as the devices that play back the acoustic signals (hereinafter referred to as the sound source). The present invention is not limited, and an audio signal recorded on a medium such as a cassette tape, a DVD-ROM, or a hard disk may be output.

  The selector unit 5 is a device that selects an acoustic signal to be input to the volume changing unit 10 from the acoustic signals output by the CD reproducing unit 2, the MD reproducing unit 3, and the radio tuner unit 4. The selection of the acoustic signal by the selector unit 5 is determined based on the selection signal received from the control unit 8.

  The operation unit 7 is an operation button and a rotary switch provided on the front panel or the like of the in-vehicle audio apparatus 1, and the user can perform various operations by operating the operation button or the like. The operation unit 7 includes, for example, a sound source source selection button 7a for selecting an input source of an acoustic source (CD reproduction unit 2, MD reproduction unit 3, radio tuner unit 4) and an acoustic signal of the selected sound source. A playback button 7b for starting output, a stop button 7c for stopping output of an acoustic signal, and the like are provided. The setting information selected by the sound source selection button 7a, the playback button 7b, and the stop button 7c is transmitted to the control unit 8.

  The operation unit 7 is provided with a rotary switch 7d for volume adjustment for adjusting the volume of the output sound output from the speaker 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary switch 7d is provided with a rotary encoder 14 for detecting the amount and direction of rotation of the rotary switch 7d.

  Specifically, a disk 14a is formed with the rotation shaft 7i of the rotary switch 7d as a rotation axis, and a plurality of radial windows (slits) 14b are provided on the periphery of the disk 14a. Further, a pair of a light emitting diode 15a and a phototransistor 15b are provided so as to sandwich the disk 14a in the center, and the disk 14a rotates with the rotation of the rotary switch 7d, and a light emitting portion formed in the light emitting diode 15a. When the window 14b is located in front of the light emitting portion, the light emitting portion formed in the phototransistor 15b can receive the emitted light of the light emitting portion, and when the portion other than the window is located in front of the light emitting portion, The light-receiving portion of the phototransistor 15b cannot receive the emitted light from the light-emitting portion.

  If the light receiving unit of the phototransistor 15b can receive the emitted light from the light emitting unit of the light emitting diode 15a, the control unit 8 provides information “1” indicating that the emitted light is received by the light receiving unit of the phototransistor 15b. If the light received from the light emitting unit is not received by the light receiving unit of the phototransistor 15b and acquired at every time t (for example, every 4 ms), the control unit 8 cannot receive the light emitted from the light receiving unit of the phototransistor 15b. Information “0” indicating that it has been acquired is acquired every predetermined time t. The information “0” and “1” corresponds to information related to the pulse signal of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as pulse information), and a change of “0” or “1” indicates a change of the pulse signal (change of pulse information). It corresponds to.

  The light emitting diode 15a and the phototransistor 15b described above are provided with two sets of light sources and light receiving portions in the proximity of each other (for convenience, one light emitting portion of the light emitting diode 15a is denoted by 15a1, and the other light emitting portion is denoted by the reference numeral 15a2, and the sign of one light receiving part in the phototransistor 15b is 15b1 and the sign of the other light receiving part is 15b2.) When the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the same direction, one of the phototransistors 15b After the light emitted from the light emitting part 15a1 of the light emitting diode 15a is received by the light receiving part 15b1 and information "1" is transmitted to the control part 8, the other light receiving part 15b2 of the phototransistor 15b receives the light emitting part of the light emitting diode 15a There is a time lag until the light “15a2” is received and information “1” is transmitted to the control unit 8. Sly. The control unit 8 determines the rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d based on the phase change of “1” and “0” caused by this time lag, and further determines the rotation amount based on this change pattern.

For example, when the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the forward rotation direction (for example, clockwise direction), as shown in FIG. 3, it is compared with the change of “0” and “1” in one light receiving portion 15b1 of the phototransistor 15b. Thus, the change of “0” and “1” in the other light receiving portion 15b2 of the phototransistor 15b occurs at a slightly delayed timing. When the control unit 8 acquires the value of the phototransistor 15b that changes in this way at every predetermined time t (for example, every 4 ms), the pulse information acquired in the control unit 8 becomes
(0,0) → (1,0) → (1,1) → (0,1) → (0,0)...
And change. The value in the first half of the parenthesis indicates the value of the pulse information acquired by one light receiving unit 15b1 of the phototransistor 15b, and the value in the second half of the parenthesis indicates the pulse acquired by the other light receiving unit 15b2 of the phototransistor 15b. Information values are shown.

  In the control unit 8, the value of the pulse information acquired from the phototransistor 15b is, for example, (0,0) → (1,0) → (1,1) → (0,1) → (0,0). If the change has occurred, it is determined that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the forward rotation direction. When the pulse information value is changed to the same value based on the change of “0” and “1”, the control unit 8 increases the output level of the output sound in the volume changing unit 10 by one level. .

On the other hand, when the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the reverse rotation direction (for example, counterclockwise direction), the information acquired in the control unit 8 is
(0,0) → (0,1) → (1,1) → (1,0) → (0,0)...
And change. As described above, when the value of the pulse information changes through, for example, (0, 0) → (0, 1) → (1, 1) → (1, 0) → (0, 0), control is performed. The unit 8 determines that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the reverse rotation direction. In addition, when the value of the pulse information changes once to the same value based on the change of “0” and “1”, the control unit 8 decreases the output level of the output sound in the volume changing unit 10 by one level.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the information recording unit 9 displays a list of pulse information that can be normally acquired based on the pulse information acquired before a predetermined time t (detected when a normal pulse signal is detected). A pulse information table 16 (recording possible state changes of the pulse signal) is recorded.

  For example, in the pulse information table 16, when the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t is (0, 0), the pulse information that can be normally acquired when the rotary switch 7 d is in the forward rotation is (1, 0). ), (0, 1) is recorded as pulse information that can be normally acquired in the case of reverse rotation, and (0, 0) is recorded as pulse information that can be normally acquired when rotation is not performed. Therefore, when the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t is (0, 0), the pulse information acquired next is a value other than (1, 0), (0, 1) and (0, 0). When (in other words, (1, 1)), it can be determined that a normal pulse signal has not been received.

  Similarly, when the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t is (1, 0), the pulse information that can be normally acquired is the reverse rotation when the rotary switch 7d is rotating forward (0, 0). In this case, (1, 1) is shown, and (1, 0) is shown when no rotation is made. In addition, when the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t is (0, 1), the pulse information that can be normally acquired is (1, 1) when the rotary switch 7d is rotating forward (1, 1). In this case, (0, 0) is indicated, and when rotation is not performed, (0, 1) is indicated. Further, when the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t is (1, 1), the pulse information that can be normally acquired is (0, 1) when the rotary switch 7d is rotating forward (0, 1). In this case, (1, 0) is indicated, and when rotation is not made, (1, 1) is indicated.

  Note that a variable P indicating the amount of change in pulse information (hereinafter, this variable P is referred to as a change amount P) is recorded in the RAM 8b of the control unit 8 described later. The value of the change amount P is incremented by 1 when the rotary switch 7d is rotated forward and the pulse information value is changed normally, and the rotary switch 7d is rotated backward and the pulse information value is changed normally. If it is reduced by one. The change amount P is a variable used in the rotation amount determination process in the control unit 8.

  The information recording unit 9 is configured by a recording medium capable of recording digital data such as a hard disk. The recording medium used for the information recording unit 9 may be any recording medium that can record digital data. Therefore, the recording medium is not limited to a hard disk. For example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory is used. It is also possible to use a recording medium that is detachable from the in-vehicle audio, such as an SD card (registered trademark) or CF (Compact Flash: registered trademark).

  The control unit 8 has a role of performing overall control processing in the in-vehicle audio device 1. The control unit 8 has functions as error determination means, error monitoring time measurement means, change count counting means, and rotation amount determination means according to the present invention.

  The control unit 8 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic processing, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 8a in which a program for performing the processing is recorded, information necessary for the processing is recorded, and processing is performed. It has a RAM (Random Access Memory) 8b used as a work area for performing such functions, and a general in-vehicle audio apparatus is configured by an IC or the like in which these functions are made into one chip.

  In the RAM 8b of the control unit 8, pulse information (for example, (0, 0) described above) acquired by the above-described phototransistor 15b is recorded by a predetermined number of information.

  Further, the control unit 8 has a timer function capable of performing a aging process for a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as an error monitoring time, for example, 100 ms) according to a program recorded in the ROM 8a. It is possible to judge. Note that this timer function is not necessarily limited to that realized by the program processing in the control unit 8. For example, other devices such as a clock pulse generator are provided separately from the control unit 8 to perform hardware processing. It may be one that performs aging treatment using it.

  Operation information set by the operator in the sound source selection button 7a, playback button 7b, stop button 7c, and rotary switch 7d of the operation unit 7 is transmitted to the control unit 8. When the control unit 8 acquires selection information indicating that the sound source is selected from the CD playback unit 2, the MD playback unit 3 and the radio tuner unit 4 from the sound source source selection button 7a, the control unit 8 selects a selector according to the acquired selection information. The selection signal for switching the output destination of the acoustic signal to the sound source corresponding to the unit 5 is transmitted. In the selector unit 5, the sound source is switched according to the selection signal received from the control unit 8, and the acoustic signal output from the predetermined sound source is output to the volume changing unit 10.

  When the control unit 8 obtains reproduction information from the reproduction button 7b according to the operation of the operator, it outputs a reproduction signal for causing the sound source selected by the selector unit 5 to output an acoustic signal. The sound source that receives the reproduction signal from the control unit 8 outputs a predetermined acoustic signal in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 8. Similarly, when the control unit 8 obtains stop information from the stop button 7c according to the operation of the operator, it outputs a stop signal to the sound source selected by the selector unit 5. The sound source that has received the stop signal from the control unit 8 stops the output of the acoustic signal in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 8.

  Further, the control unit 8 acquires the above-described pulse information from the rotary switch 7d at every predetermined time t, determines the rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d based on the acquired pulse information, and also uses the rotary switch 7d. The rotation amount is determined, and information on the determined rotation amount (hereinafter referred to as rotation amount information) is output to the volume changing unit 10. As for the rotation amount information, when the rotary switch 7d is rotated forward (for example, clockwise), the rotation amount information is set as a positive level value, and the rotary switch 7d is rotated backward (for example, counterclockwise). When the rotation amount is rotated), the rotation amount information is set as a negative level value.

  The volume changing unit 10 has a role of changing the volume of the acoustic signal input via the selector unit 5 based on the rotation amount information acquired from the control unit 8. The volume of sound output from the speaker 12 is changed by changing the volume (volume adjustment) in the volume changing unit 10.

  The power amplifier 11 is a device for amplifying an acoustic signal whose volume has been changed by the volume changing unit 10. When the power signal is amplified by the power amplifier 11, it is possible to output a powerful sound from the speaker 12.

  The speaker 12 is a general vehicle-mounted speaker, and is provided on the left and right door portions of the front seat in the vehicle interior and the left and right dashboards behind the rear seat. The speaker 12 may include a tweeter for high sound output and a woofer for low sound output as necessary. Although only one speaker is shown in FIG. 1 for convenience, the number of speakers and their installation locations are not particularly limited.

  Next, processing for determining the amount of rotation of the rotary switch 7d based on the pulse information received by the control unit 8 from the phototransistor 15b of the rotary switch 7d will be described. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are flowcharts showing the processing content of the rotation amount determination processing in the control unit 8.

  First, the pulse information table 16 recorded in the control unit 8 and the information recording unit 9 is read and developed in a predetermined area of the RAM 8b (S1). Further, the control unit 8 substitutes 0 for the change amount P, and substitutes 1 for the rotation flag Q indicating the rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d (S2). This process is a so-called initial setting process and indicates variables used in the process described later. The value of the change amount P and the rotation flag Q are recorded in a predetermined area of the RAM 8b.

  Next, the control unit 8 acquires pulse information from the phototransistor 15b every predetermined time t, every 4 ms in this embodiment (S3), and a change in the acquired pulse information is normally detected. It is determined whether it corresponds to a change in pulse information (S4: error determination process).

  Specifically, the control unit 8 records the pulse information acquired every predetermined time t in the RAM 8b of the control unit 8, thereby recording the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t (4 ms) and the RAM 8b. Based on the pulse information table 16, it is determined whether or not the newly acquired pulse information corresponds to normal pulse information that can be acquired next to the pulse information acquired before the predetermined time t.

  When it can be determined by the pulse information table 16 that the newly acquired pulse information corresponds to pulse information that can be acquired normally (Yes in S4), the control unit 8 refers to the pulse information table 16 and rotates. It is determined whether or not the expression switch is rotated in the forward rotation direction based on the change state of the pulse information (S5). When it is determined that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the forward rotation direction (Yes in S5), the control unit 8 adds 1 to the change amount P and substitutes 1 for the rotation flag Q (S6).

  Thereafter, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the value of the change amount P is 4 (S7). When the amount of change P is 4, since it can be determined that the above-described pulse information has changed four times in the forward rotation direction, the value of the pulse information has changed once in the forward rotation direction. Therefore, when the change amount P is 4, the control unit 8 transmits the rotation amount information increased by level 1 to the volume changing unit 10 (S8) and sets the value of the change amount P to 0 (S9). . The volume changing unit 10 changes the volume of the acoustic signal by level 1 based on the rotation amount information received from the control unit 8. By changing the volume level, the output sound output from the speaker 12 increases. Thereafter, the control unit 8 repeatedly executes a process (S3) of acquiring pulse information from the phototransistor 15b every 4 ms.

  On the other hand, when it cannot be determined that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the forward rotation direction due to the change in the pulse information (No in S5), the control unit 8 determines that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the reverse rotation direction. It is determined whether it can be determined (S10). When it can be determined that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the reverse rotation direction (Yes in S10), the control unit 8 decreases the value of the change amount P by 1 and assigns 0 to the rotation flag Q (S11).

  Thereafter, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the value of the change amount P is −4 (S12). When the change amount P is −4, it can be determined that the above-described pulse information has changed four times in the reverse rotation direction, and thus the value of the pulse signal has changed once in the reverse rotation direction. Therefore, when the change amount P is −4, the control unit 8 transmits the rotation amount information decreased by level 1 to the volume changing unit 10 (S13) and sets the value of the change amount P to 0 (S9). ). The volume changing unit 10 changes the volume of the acoustic signal by level 1 based on the rotation amount information received from the control unit 8. By changing the volume level, the output sound output from the speaker 12 is reduced. Thereafter, the control unit 8 repeatedly executes a process (S3) of acquiring pulse information from the phototransistor 15b every 4 ms.

  When it is not possible to determine that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in both the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction due to the change in pulse information (No in S5 and S10), the control unit 8 indicates that the rotary switch 7d has not been rotated at all. It is determined that there is not, and the process (S3) of acquiring pulse information from the phototransistor 15b is repeatedly executed every 4 ms.

  On the other hand, when the pulse information table 16 determines that the newly acquired pulse information does not correspond to the pulse information that can be normally acquired (No in S4), the control unit 8 sets the change amount P to 0. While substituting (S14), the timer function is used to start a time measurement process of error monitoring time, which is 100 ms in this embodiment (S15: error monitoring time measurement process).

  Then, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the value of the newly acquired pulse signal has changed compared to the value of the pulse signal acquired 4 ms (predetermined time t) (S16). If the rotation flag Q is found (Yes in S16), the rotation flag Q is read from the RAM 8b (S17), and it is determined whether or not the rotation flag Q is 1 (S18). Here, as is clear from the processing described in S6 and S11, the value of the rotation flag Q indicates the rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d when the pulse signal is finally detected normally.

  Normally, when the operator rotates the rotary switch 7d, the rotational speed (rotation amount) of the rotary switch gradually increases in a certain rotational direction, and then the rotational speed tends to decrease as the desired sound volume is approached. There is. For this reason, even when the rotation of the rotary switch 7d cannot be accurately determined from the pulse information, the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the rotation direction obtained from the pulse signal accurately detected immediately before. Can be guessed. Therefore, when the rotation flag Q is 1 (Yes in S18), that is, when the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the forward rotation direction, the control unit 8 adds 1 to the value of the change amount P ( S19: Change count counting process) When the rotation flag Q is 0 (No in S18), that is, when the rotary switch 7d is rotated in the reverse rotation direction, the value of the change amount P is decreased by 1 ( S20: Change count counting process).

  On the other hand, when the value of the newly acquired pulse signal has not changed compared to the value of the pulse signal acquired 4 ms (predetermined time t) (No in S16), the control unit 8 determines the change amount P Do not increase or decrease the value of.

  Thereafter, the control unit 8 determines whether or not 100 ms (error monitoring time) has elapsed by the timer function (S21), and when 100 ms has not elapsed (No in S21), every 4 ms (predetermined time t). The pulse information is acquired from the phototransistor 15b (S22), and it is repeated whether or not the value of the newly acquired pulse signal has changed compared to the value of the pulse signal acquired 4 ms (predetermined time t). Judgment is made (S16).

  On the other hand, when the control unit 8 determines that 100 ms has elapsed due to the timer function (Yes in S21), the control unit 8 determines whether or not the amount of change P is 0 (S23). When the change amount P is 0 (Yes in S23), the control unit 8 repeatedly executes the pulse information acquisition process shown in S3 (S3).

When the change amount P is not 0 (No in S23), the control unit 8 determines the rotation amount of the rotary switch based on the change amount P M = (P / 4) / A (Equation 1)
Is determined based on the integer value calculated by (S24: rotation amount determination process). However, in this embodiment, 4 is used as the value of A.

  In Equation 1, the number of times the pulse information has made a round in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction can be obtained by dividing the detected change amount P of the pulse information by 4.

  Further, even if the number of times that the pulse information value has made a round as described above is calculated, in the processes of S17 to S20, when the value of the pulse signal has changed, the change amount P according to the value of the rotation flag Q. Is unilaterally added to a positive or negative value, so that the number of rounds of the obtained pulse information can be changed by the level change value of the volume changing unit 10 that can be changed by the operator operating the rotary switch 7d. There is a tendency to increase. For this reason, by dividing the number of rounds by A, it is possible to adjust the operating feeling of the operator and the change level of the volume changing unit 10 where the volume is actually adjusted. The value of A is not limited to the numerical value 4 shown in the present embodiment, and can be freely changed.

  In general, it is preferable to change the value of A according to the length of the error monitoring time. For example, when the error monitoring time is short, the amount of rotation of the rotary switch 7d that can actually rotate is small, so even if the value of A is reduced, it is difficult to feel uncomfortable in the operation of the operator. On the other hand, when the error monitoring time is long, the range of the rotation amount of the rotary switch 7d that can actually rotate becomes large. Therefore, the operator feels uncomfortable when the value of A is slightly increased. It tends to be difficult to feel. For this reason, it is preferable to decrease the value of the calculated rotation amount M by increasing the value of A according to the increase in the length of the error monitoring time.

  The calculated rotation amount M becomes a positive value and a negative value according to the value of the change amount P. In the case of a positive value, the rotation switch 7d is rotated in the positive rotation direction. In the case of a negative value, it can be determined that the rotary switch 7d has been rotated in the reverse rotation direction.

  Then, the control unit 8 determines the calculated rotation amount M as the rotation amount detected by operating the rotary switch 7d, and transmits the determined rotation amount information to the volume changing unit 10 (S25). Thereafter, the control unit 8 sets the value of the change amount P to 0 (S26), and repeatedly executes a process (S3) of acquiring pulse information from the phototransistor 15b every 4 ms.

  Thus, in the in-vehicle audio device 1 according to the present invention, the control unit determines whether the pulse information acquired from the phototransistor 15b of the rotary encoder 14 is the pulse information that can be normally acquired described in the pulse information table 16. If the pulse information cannot be normally acquired as determined in 8, the amount of rotation M is determined based on Equation 1, and thus the operator has rotated the rotary switch 7d quickly. However, it is possible to determine the amount of rotation so that the operator does not feel uncomfortable, and it is possible to determine the amount of rotation so as to correspond (follow) the rotation of the rotary switch.

  In particular, by changing the value of A shown in Equation 1 according to the error monitoring time, the rotation amount M can be calculated in consideration of the operation pattern of the operator, so the operator feels more uncomfortable. It becomes possible to determine a difficult rotation amount.

  Further, even if the change in the pulse information is remarkably increased by dividing the number of changes in the detected pulse signal by A in Equation 1, the rotary switch is rotated quickly, the amount of rotation is reduced. Since it can be appropriately reduced, it is possible to make it difficult for the operator to feel uncomfortable in the operation of the rotary switch 7d.

  Furthermore, when the pulse information cannot be acquired normally, the rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d is determined based on the recorded rotation direction of the rotary switch 7d when the pulse information can be acquired normally. It is possible to determine the rotation amount in consideration of the operator's rotation pattern in the rotary switch 7d.

  Also, if the pulse information could not be acquired normally, the error immediately after the detection of the accurate pulse information (if the correct pulse information could be detected immediately before if the error detection was detected) By performing the error monitoring time lapse process from the time when the detection is detected, it is possible to suitably determine the amount of rotation within a period during which it can be assumed that the operator quickly rotates the rotary switch 7d. For this reason, it is possible to determine the amount of rotation suitable for the operation pattern of the operator. It is also possible to change the error monitoring time according to an operator's operation pattern that can be assumed. By appropriately changing and adjusting the error monitoring time, it is possible to determine a rotation amount that makes it more difficult for the operator to feel uncomfortable.

  In addition, since the control unit 8 performs the normal detection determination of the pulse signal based on the pulse information table 16, the pulse signal determination in the control unit can be performed quickly and reliably. Furthermore, the pulse information table 16 is updated when the criteria for determining the pulse information that can be accurately acquired is changed by changing the installation position, the installation position of the light emitting diode 15a or the phototransistor 15b, the number of installations, or the like. Accordingly, it is possible to easily change the normal detection judgment standard of the pulse signal.

  In the present embodiment, the pulse information table 16 recorded in the information recording unit 9 is expanded in the RAM 8b of the control unit 8 in the processing of S1 shown in the flowchart of FIG. If the information in the pulse information table 16 can be read at a sufficient speed, the control unit 8 can directly refer to the pulse information table 16 from the information recording unit 9.

  Further, the information recording unit 9 in which the pulse information table 16 is recorded is not necessarily limited to the one configured by a hard disk or the like, and may be configured to be recorded in the ROM 8a or the like of the control unit 8, for example. In this case, the ROM of the control unit 8 corresponds to the information recording unit according to the present invention.

  While the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the rotation amount determination device according to the present invention is not limited to the one shown in the above-described embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the rotation amount determination processing in the control unit 8 is realized by a program recorded in the ROM 8a. This program also relates to the present invention. Further, the program is not necessarily limited to the one recorded in the ROM 8a of the control unit 8. For example, the program may be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and even if the program is provided through a communication line or the like, the program provided using the communication line as a medium. Corresponds to the program according to the present invention.

It is the block diagram which showed schematic structure of the vehicle-mounted audio apparatus provided with the rotation amount determination apparatus which concerns on embodiment. 1 is an external perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a rotary encoder installed in a rotary switch of an in-vehicle audio apparatus according to an embodiment. It is the figure which showed the change state of the pulse signal detected by the light-receiving part of the phototransistor provided in the rotary encoder shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed the pulse information table recorded on the information recording part which concerns on embodiment. It is the 1st flowchart which showed the control processing of the control part which concerns on embodiment. It is the 2nd flowchart which showed the control processing of the control part which concerns on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car-mounted audio apparatus 2 ... CD reproduction part 3 ... MD reproduction part 4 ... Radio tuner part 5 ... Selector part 7 ... Operation part 7a ... Sound source selection button 7b ... Play button 7c ... Stop button 7d ... Rotary switch 7i ... Rotation Axis 8 ... control unit (error determination means, error monitoring time measurement means, change count counting means, rotation amount determination means)
8a ROM
8b ... RAM
9 Information recording section (normal pulse signal recording means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Volume change part 11 ... Power amplifier 12 ... Speaker 14 ... Rotary encoder 14a ... Disk 14b ... Window 15a ... Light emitting diode 15b ... Phototransistor 16 ... Pulse information table M ... Rotation amount P ... Change amount Q ... Rotation flag

Claims (5)

A rotation amount determination device that determines a rotation amount of a rotary switch based on a change in a pulse signal detected every predetermined time by a rotary encoder,
An error determination means for comparing a pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder with a pulse signal detected a predetermined time ago to determine a detection error of the pulse signal by the rotary encoder;
An error monitoring time measuring means for measuring an elapse of an error monitoring time set in advance based on the determination time when the error determination means determines the detection error of the pulse signal;
Change number counting means for counting the number of changes in the pulse signal detected during the measurement of the error monitoring time by the error monitoring time measuring means;
The completion of the error monitoring time is determined based on the error monitoring time measuring means, and the rotation of the rotary switch during the error monitoring time is determined based on the number of changes in the pulse signal counted by the change number counting means. A rotation amount determination device comprising: a rotation amount determination means for determining an amount.   The rotation amount determination means determines a rotation amount smaller than the rotation amount calculated based on the number of changes of the pulse signal counted by the change number counting means as the rotation amount of the rotary switch. The rotation amount determination device according to claim 1.   The rotation amount determination device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation amount determination unit changes a decrease amount of the rotation amount according to a length of the error monitoring time. Normal pulse signal recording means for recording a change state of the pulse signal that can be detected when detecting a normal pulse signal according to the pulse signal detected before the predetermined time,
The error determining means determines whether the detected pulse signal is a pulse signal that can be detected when a normal pulse signal is detected, based on a change state of the pulse signal recorded in the normal pulse signal recording means. The rotation amount determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein error detection of the pulse signal is performed. In the computer of the rotation amount determination device that determines the rotation amount of the rotary switch based on the change of the pulse signal detected every predetermined time by the rotary encoder,
An error determination process for comparing a pulse signal detected by the rotary encoder with a pulse signal detected a predetermined time before determining a detection error of the pulse signal by the rotary encoder;
An error monitoring time measurement process for measuring the passage of an error monitoring time set in advance based on the determination time when the detection error of the pulse signal is determined in the error determination process;
A change number counting process for counting the number of changes in the pulse signal detected during the measurement of the error monitoring time by the error monitoring time measuring process;
The completion of the error monitoring time in the error monitoring time measurement process is determined, and the rotation amount of the rotary switch is determined based on the number of changes in the pulse signal counted by the change number counting process in the error monitoring time. A computer program for realizing the rotation amount determination process to be determined.

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