JPH1029540A - Steering switch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a radio communication between a rotating steering and the body side which is a non-rotating part by constituting a signal transfer means by a space propagating optical communicating means formed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. SOLUTION: In this steering switch device, when each switch provided on the steering pad 1a of a steering 1 is operated, an infrared signal according to each switch is outputted from an infrared racy emitting diode 11 by a transmitting circuit 12, and this infrared signal is read by a receiving circuit 14 through a phototransistor 13, and inputted to each equipment as a prescribed signal. Namely, the radio communication between the rotating steering 1 and body side (meter hood 3) which is a non-rotating part can be performed. Therefore, the switch operation in driving by the driver of a vehicle can be facilitated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a switch provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle and a signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal of the switch to a vehicle body (non-rotating portion) where a circuit to which the signal is inputted is installed. And a steering switch device comprising:

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some vehicles have a switch mounted on a steering wheel to facilitate switch operation during driving. Conventionally, in such a steering switch device, a signal of a switch provided on a rotating steering wheel is transmitted to a vehicle body (non-rotating portion) where a device (various controllers or the like) to which the signal is input is installed. As the transmission means, a slip ring or a roll connector has been used. In recent years when a large number of various switches have been provided on the steering wheel, the number of poles of the slip ring and the roll connector has increased in proportion to the number of switches, and the signal transmission means has become extremely large. In order to prevent such a situation, a configuration for performing multiplex communication using a communication IC is generally used.

[0003]

For this reason, the conventional steering switch device requires a communication IC in addition to a special and expensive electric signal connection means such as a slip ring and a roll connector, which increases the cost as a whole. There was a problem that would.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering switch device capable of operating various switches on the steering at low cost without using a slip ring or a roll connector.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering switch device comprising: a switch provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle; and a switch which receives a signal from the switch. And a signal transmission means for transmitting the signal to the vehicle body, wherein the signal transmission means is constituted by a spatially propagating optical communication means comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the steering switch device, the light receiving element is installed in a meter hood of a vehicle.
The light-emitting device is installed above a steering pad of a steering wheel in a straight running position, facing the light-receiving device.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration and an arrangement of a steering switch device of the present embodiment, and is a side view showing a periphery of a steering of a vehicle. FIG. 2
1 is a front view of a steering of a vehicle to which a steering switch device of the present example is applied. The steering switch device of the present embodiment is a spatially propagating light for transmitting various switches 2a to 2g provided on a steering wheel 1 of a vehicle and signals of the switches 2a to 2g to a vehicle body on which a device to which the signals are input is installed. Communication means 10 (signal transmission means).

As shown in FIG. 2, the switches 2a to 2g are arranged at the lower front or right side of the steering pad 1a of the steering wheel 1 in the straight running position. Among them, the switches 2a to 2d are for operating, for example, an in-vehicle audio device and an air conditioner not shown, and the switches 2e to 2g are, for example, switches for operating an auto speed control system not shown. .

The spatially propagating optical communication means 10 includes a transmitting section provided in a steering pad 1a of the steering 1,
The transmitter includes a receiver provided on the meter hood 3 (on the vehicle body side) of the vehicle. The transmitter includes an infrared light emitting diode 11 (light emitting element) and a transmission circuit 12, and the receiver includes a phototransistor 13 ( A light receiving element) and a receiving circuit 14.

In this case, the infrared light emitting diode 11
It is installed above the steering pad 1a of the steering wheel 1 in the straight running position, facing a predetermined position on the inner surface of the meter hood 3 (on the vehicle body side) of the vehicle. The transmission circuit 12 is a circuit that drives the infrared light emitting diode 11 to transmit an infrared signal corresponding to the signals of the switches 2a to 2g. The power supply of the transmission circuit 12 and the infrared light emitting diode 11 can be the same power supply as a horn switch device (not shown) provided in the steering pad 1a. In this case, there is no need to provide a separate power supply.

In this case, the phototransistor 13 is installed at the predetermined position on the inner side of the meter hood 3 so as to reliably receive the infrared rays from the infrared light emitting diode 11 when the steering wheel 1 is in the straight running position. I have. The receiving circuit 14 reads an infrared signal received through the phototransistor 13 and outputs a predetermined signal to corresponding devices (such as the in-vehicle audio device and the automatic speed control system) by wired communication.

In the steering switch device configured as described above, the steering pad 1 of the steering wheel 1
When the switches 2a to 2g provided on the switch a are operated, the transmission circuit 12 outputs infrared signals corresponding to the switches 2a to 2g from the infrared light emitting diode 11, and the infrared signals are transmitted via the phototransistor 13 to the receiving circuit 1.
4 and input to the corresponding devices as predetermined signals. In other words, like a remote control for home appliances,
Wireless communication between the rotating steering wheel 1 and the non-rotating vehicle body side (in this case, the meter hood 3) becomes possible. Therefore, the switch operation during driving by the driver of the vehicle is facilitated, and the device is simpler and less expensive than the conventional configuration using a slip ring or the like.

In the case of this embodiment, the infrared light emitting diode 11 (light emitting element) and the phototransistor 13 (light receiving element) are in an optimal positional relationship at the rotational position of the steering wheel 1 when the vehicle is traveling straight. The installation positions are set so that Therefore, in a straight running state in which this kind of switch is operated most frequently, the wireless communication is reliably performed, and the device functions with high reliability. Phototransistor 13 (light receiving element)
Is arranged in the meter hood 3, so that the phototransistor 13 can be easily assembled together with other meters simply by changing the design or modification of the meter panel.
It is practical.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may have various aspects. For example, in addition to a phototransistor, a photodiode, a photothyristor, or the like may be used as the light receiving element, and other elements such as a laser diode may be used as the light emitting element. Nor. Further, the arrangement position of the light receiving element and the light emitting element is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the light receiving element is arranged on the end face of the support portion 4 of the steering wheel 1 shown in FIG. The element may be arranged on the back surface of the steering pad 1a facing the element. Further, for example, a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in the circumferential direction (rotation direction) of the steering wheel 1 so that an optical signal from any one of the light emitting elements reliably reaches the light receiving element regardless of the rotational position of the steering wheel 1. Alternatively, wireless communication with higher reliability may be enabled without being reliably affected by the rotation operation of the steering 1.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering switch device comprising a space transmitting optical communication means comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element as a signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal of a switch provided on a steering wheel to a vehicle body. did. This enables wireless communication between the rotating steering wheel and the non-rotating body, like a remote control for home appliances, making it easier for the driver of the vehicle to operate the switches while driving, and in addition to the conventional technology. The apparatus is simpler and less expensive than the configuration using a slip ring or the like.

In the steering switch device according to the second aspect, the light receiving element is installed in a meter hood of the vehicle, and the light emitting element is installed above the steering pad of the steering in the straight running position toward the light receiving element. . As a result, at the rotational position of the steering wheel when the vehicle is in a straight running state, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are set at their installation positions so as to have an optimal positional relationship, and this type of switch is operated. In the straight running state where the frequency is the highest, the wireless communication is reliably performed, and the device functions with high reliability. Further, since the light receiving element is arranged in the meter hood, the light receiving element can be easily assembled together with other meters simply by changing or modifying the design of the meter panel, which is practical.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration and an arrangement of a steering switch device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a steering of the vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2a to 2g Switch 3 Meter hood (body side) 10 Spatial propagation optical communication means 11 Infrared light emitting diode (light emitting element) 13 Phototransistor (light receiving element)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor No. Takashi ▼ Takamado, Kyoto City

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A steering switch device comprising: a switch provided on a steering wheel of a vehicle; and signal transmission means for transmitting a signal of the switch to a vehicle body on which a device to which the signal is input is installed. A steering switch device wherein the transmission means is constituted by a spatially propagating optical communication means comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element. 2. The light-receiving element is installed in a meter hood of a vehicle, and the light-emitting element is installed above a steering pad of a steering in a straight running position toward the light-receiving element. Item 2. The steering switch device according to item 1.