JPH0314797Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an illuminance adjustment device that adjusts the illuminance of illumination by operating a switch.

For example, instrument lights in automobiles are configured so that they can be turned on in response to the turning on of headlights at night. However, since the illuminance of the instrument lights is always constant, in relatively dark places such as roads with little illumination, the instrument lights become too bright and dazzle, making it difficult to see outside the vehicle. In relatively bright places such as roads, the illumination of the gauges becomes too dim, making it difficult to see the gauges. To solve this problem, there is a method of adjusting the illumination intensity by turning a knob linked to a variable resistor, or by pressing a push switch as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 115576/1982. However, the adjustment process of turning a knob is quite cumbersome for the driver, and there are problems with safe driving such as a lack of attentiveness to driving.In addition, these methods do not have a way to determine the upper and lower limits of illuminance. Because there is no button, there are drawbacks such as pressing the switch for a longer time than necessary, especially in push switch types.

The present invention was developed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and it allows the illuminance to be adjusted easily and safely using an easy-to-operate push switch, and also provides an alarm means to notify when the illuminance reaches the upper or lower limit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an illuminance adjustment device that allows adjustment operations to be performed without waste.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a switch means for outputting at least one of an illuminance increase signal and an illuminance decrease signal, and sets illuminance data based on the input time of the output signal from the switch means, and sets an illuminance upper limit signal or an illuminance lower limit signal. An illuminance setting means for outputting an illuminance lower limit signal, and based on the illumination data, m periods out of n periods of the reference clock signal are set to a high level, and (nm) periods (n≧m) are set to a low level. a lighting control means that outputs a lighting signal with a duty of the lighting signal, a lighting means that lights with an illumination intensity determined by the duty of the lighting signal, and a lighting control means that outputs a lighting signal with a lighting duty determined by the duty of the lighting signal; The illuminance adjustment device is characterized in that it includes an alarm means that outputs an alarm signal when the signals are output at the same time.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a switch means, a switch SW1 for outputting an illuminance increase signal A, a switch SW2 for outputting an illuminance decrease signal B, and an OR circuit 2 for selecting these signals.
It consists of The signal selected by the OR circuit 2 is output to a switch input detection circuit 4 constituting the illuminance setting means 3. And time clock generator 5
Time clock CK1 with a sufficiently long period generated from
is output to the up-down counter circuit 6 only when the selected signal is input. In addition, the illuminance increase signal A of the switch SW1 is sent to the up-down counter circuit 6.
The illuminance decrease signal B is output to the UP input terminal, and the illuminance decrease signal B is output to the DOWN input terminal. The illuminance data E counted by the up-down counter circuit 6 is output to a comparison circuit 8 constituting the lighting control means 7. The comparison circuit 8 compares the illuminance data E set by the up-down counter circuit 6 with the data F of the counter 9 counted at the timing of the reference clock CK2 from the reference clock generator 10, and is set accordingly. Generates a lighting signal G for the day. 1
1 is a point reduction circuit as an alarm means, and there are four
AND circuits AN1, AN2, AN3, AN4, OR circuit OR1, exclusive OR circuit 12, and oscillator 13
It is composed of To explain in more detail, the first
AND circuit AN1, a second AND circuit AN2 which has two inputs of the illuminance lowering signal B and a lower illuminance signal D, and a third AND circuit whose two inputs are the output of the first AND circuit AN1 and the clock pulse CK3 generated from the oscillator 13.
The clock pulse CK generated from the outputs of the AND circuit AN3, the second AND circuit AN2 and the oscillator 13
4th AND circuit AN4 with 3 as 2 inputs, 3rd
and an OR circuit OR1 having two inputs of the outputs of the fourth AND circuits AN3 and AN4, and an exclusive OR having two inputs of the point reduction signal H, which is the output of this OR circuit OR1, and the lighting signal G of the comparison circuit 8. It is constituted by a circuit 12.

The exclusive OR circuit 12 synthesizes the point reduction signal H and the lighting signal G, and the lighting drive circuit 14
controls the lighting of the illumination means 15 based on the composite signal.

The operation of the illuminance adjusting device of the present invention constructed as described above will be explained.

First, it is assumed that the values of the up-down counter circuit 6 and the counter 9 are both set to 1 as an initial value, the up-down counter circuit 6 counts 0 to 3, and the counter 9 counts 1 to 3. Now, when the switch SW1 is pressed to increase the illuminance, the illuminance increase signal A is input to the UP input terminal of the up-down counter circuit 6, and is also input to the switch input detection circuit 4 via the OR circuit 2. switch
While SW1 is pressed, the switch input detection circuit 4 generates one pulse at the timing of the time clock CK1 (clock rise) and outputs it to the up-down counter circuit 6, and the value counted by the up-down counter circuit 6 is the illuminance. Data E is 1 → 2
becomes. Furthermore, when the switch SW1 is continued to be pressed and the next time clock CK1 is generated, the illuminance data E of the up-down counter circuit 6 becomes 3. Since the upper limit of the up-down counter circuit 6 is set to 3, this becomes the upper limit of the illuminance, and the up-down counter circuit 6 outputs the illuminance upper limit signal C to the switch input detection circuit 4 when the illuminance increase signal A is input. . Thereafter, even if the switch SW1 continues to be pressed, the switch input detection circuit 4 will not output a pulse to the up/down counter circuit 6. On the other hand, when switch SW2 is pressed to lower the illuminance, the illumination lowering signal B is sent to the up-down counter circuit 6.
is output to the DOWN input terminal of the OR circuit 2.
The signal is output to the switch input detection circuit 4 via the switch input detection circuit 4.
Similarly, when a pulse is generated from the switch input detection circuit 4 at the timing of the time clock CK1, the up-down counter circuit 6 counts down, and the illuminance data E of the up-down counter circuit 6 is generated.
becomes 3→2. Then, when the illuminance data E of the up-down counter circuit 6 becomes 0 and the illuminance lowering signal B is still input, the illuminance lower limit signal D is output to the switch input detection circuit 4, and the switch input detection circuit 4 thereafter pulses. does not occur. In this way, the output of the up-down counter circuit 6 is 0 to 3.
The illuminance data E is outputted to the comparator circuit 8. Next, the counter 9 is a ring counter that counts 1 to 3 at the timing of the reference clock CK2, and outputs the counted data F to the comparator circuit 8. And comparison circuit 8
compares the illuminance data E of the up-down counter circuit 6 with the data F of the counter 9 at the timing of the reference clock CK2. That is, when the comparison circuit 8 compares the illuminance data E of the up-down counter circuit 6 with 2, the data 1 to 3 of the counter 9 are compared with this data in magnitude. It is assumed that the output of the comparator circuit 8 is expressed by the following relationship between illuminance data E and F.

E>F→Output: Low level E≦F→Output: High level Based on this relationship, for example, 2
The data F changes as 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc. and is compared in size.As shown in Figure 2C, F = 1 and 2 are at high level, and F = 3 is at low level. A lighting signal G is output from the comparator circuit 8. In this case, the reference clock CK2
Two of the cycles are set as high level, (3-2)=1
A signal whose level is low for the period is generated. That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the up-down counter circuit 6 counts from 0 to 3 and the counter 9 counts from 1 to 3, but generally the up-down counter circuit 6 counts from 0 to n and the counter 9 counts from 1 to n. If the value of the up-down counter circuit 6 at a certain point in time is m (n≧m), m cycles out of n cycles of the reference clock CK2 are set to high level, It is possible to obtain a duty lighting signal G with a low level for minutes. Therefore, by increasing the value of n, fine adjustment of illuminance becomes possible. In this way, by obtaining lighting signals G with different duties depending on the illuminance data E,
The illuminance is adjusted.

Incidentally, since the frequency of the reference clock CK2 is such that flicker is not perceived by the human eye, the illumination intensity changes depending on the difference in duty.

Next, the operation of the point reduction circuit 11 as an echo reporting means will be explained. If the up-down counter circuit 6 outputs the illuminance upper limit signal C or the illuminance lower limit signal D and the switch SW1 or SW2 is pressed,
In order to notify the operator that the illuminance is at the upper limit or lower limit, the lighting means 15 is reduced by the reduction circuit 11. In other words, the operator continues to press switch SW1 to increase the illuminance, and the illuminance reaches its upper limit.
Illuminance upper limit signal C from up-down counter circuit 6
When is output, two high-level inputs are applied to the first AND circuit AN1, and therefore a high-level output is applied to the third AND circuit 3. and,
Clock pulse CK3 of oscillator 13 remains as is.
It is output to the OR circuit OR1 and further output to the exclusive OR circuit 12. On the other hand, when the operator continues to press the switch SW2 to lower the illuminance and the illuminance reaches the lower limit and the illuminance lower limit signal D is output from the up-down counter circuit 6, the second AND circuit AN2
Two high level inputs are applied to , and a high level output is applied to the fourth AND circuit AN4. Similarly, clock pulse CK3 is used as an OR circuit.
output to OR1, and further exclusive OR circuit 12
Output to. Furthermore, when the illuminance has not reached the upper limit or the lower limit, the up-down counter circuit 6 does not output the illuminance upper limit signal C and the illuminance lower limit signal D, so the four AND circuits AN1, AN2, AN
3, AN4 and the OR circuit OR1 each output a low level, and apply a low level to the exclusive OR circuit 12.

In this way, the output of the OR circuit OR1 becomes the dot reduction signal H, which is combined with the lighting signal G as the output of the comparison circuit 8 mentioned above in the exclusive OR circuit 12.
That is, when the illuminance reaches the upper limit and the illuminance upper limit signal C is generated, the lighting signal G becomes high level as shown in FIG. 2D. On the other hand, the dimming signal H becomes a clock pulse CK3, and since the frequency of this clock pulse CK3 is low enough to cause flickering to the human eye, a dimming effect is obtained in which the light is turned on at the low level of the clock pulse CK3 and turned off at the high level. A lighting signal H is output from the exclusive OR circuit 12.

Next, when the illuminance lower limit is reached and the illuminance lower limit signal D is generated, the lighting signal G becomes low level as shown in FIG. 2A. On the other hand, the dimming signal H becomes the clock pulse CK3, and the exclusive OR circuit 12 outputs the lighting signal H which has the dimming effect of turning off at the low level of the clock pulse CK3 and turning on at the high level.

Next, if the illuminance does not reach the upper or lower limit,
The lighting signal G is as shown in FIG. 2B and C. On the other hand, since the point reduction signal H is at a low level, the lighting signal G shown in FIGS. 2B and C is output as is from the exclusive OR circuit 12, and no point reduction is performed.

In this way, the exclusive OR circuit 12 combines the lighting signal G and the dimming signal H, and the illumination means 12 performs illumination or notification of upper and lower limits.

Further, in the point reduction circuit 11, as shown in FIG. 3, an inverter circuit IN1 is inserted between the fourth AND circuit AN4 and the OR circuit OR1. In this way, when the duty of the clock pulse CK3 generated from the oscillator 13 is not 50%, the ON and OFF states of the upper and lower limits of illuminance are reversed, as shown in FIG. The lighting time becomes longer, making it easier to judge the visibility of the upper and lower limits.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, when the illuminance reaches the upper limit, due to the function of the dimming circuit 11, the illuminance is at the upper limit when turned on, and completely turned off when turned off. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which light and dark illumination is repeated.

Incidentally, in any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the lighting means 15 itself is equipped with a lighting reduction circuit 1 as an alarm means.
1, but if the dimming of the illumination means 15 affects the illumination effect, a dedicated alarm lamp or the like may be connected as its load.

Further, a configuration may be adopted in which only one of the illuminance increase signal and the illuminance decrease signal is output, and there is no problem even if only the upper limit of illuminance is the subject of alarm, or only the lower limit of illuminance is the subject of alarm.

As detailed above, according to the present invention, the illuminance can be adjusted easily and safely using an easy-to-operate push switch, and by providing an alarm means to notify when the illuminance reaches the upper or lower limit, It is possible to provide an illuminance adjustment device that can perform illuminance adjustment operations without waste.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing the output of the up-down counter circuit 6, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment, and FIG. 4 is the same. This is a timing chart showing the operation. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Switch means, 3... Illuminance setting means, 7... Lighting control means, 11... Flashing circuit (alarm means), 13
...oscillator, 15...illumination means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A switch means for outputting at least one of an illuminance increase signal and an illuminance decrease signal, and an illuminance setting means for setting illuminance data based on the input time of the output signal from the switch means and outputting an illuminance upper limit signal or an illuminance lower limit signal. , based on the above illuminance data, set m cycles out of n cycles of the reference clock signal to a high level, and set it to a high level for (n-m) cycles (however, n≧m).
lighting control means that outputs a lighting signal with a duty that sets the lighting signal to a low level; lighting means that lights with an illumination intensity determined by the duty of the lighting signal; and lighting control means that outputs a lighting signal with a duty that sets the lighting signal to a low level; An illuminance adjustment device comprising an alarm means for outputting an alarm signal when a signal and an illuminance lower limit signal are output at the same time.