JPH11208377A - Overhead console - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accumulate various electrical equipment members of antennas, CCD camera, etc., efficiently in a single part. SOLUTION: Various antenna 5 to 10 and an out-car photographing CCD camera 12 are stored in a front part 22 of a console main unit 1, an in-car photographing CCD camera 11 is stored in a roof part 21 of the console main unit 1, without deteriorating a design quality, with arranging compactly accumulating and deterioration of visibility of a driver is prevented by decreasing reflection to a windshield.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an overhead console installed at a position above a vehicle interior.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years,
In the field of automobiles, with the development of electronic communication technology,
Information-related electrical equipment such as an automatic navigation (car navigation) system, a VICS information display system, and an automatic toll collection system for toll roads has come to be mounted in a wide variety of areas, and these communication antennas and the like have been installed. Are also increasing. The antennas of such communication systems are usually formed flat to reduce the size, and are usually provided with an automatic navigation (car navigation) system, a VIC.
The S information display system and the automatic toll collection system for toll roads are housed inside respective units, and are often installed individually in instrument panels arranged in front of the driver's seat and the passenger seat. Was.

However, as the number of on-vehicle electrical devices increases, the number of operation switches also increases, and the unit itself and wiring materials connected to the unit crawl inside and outside the instrument panel. This not only impairs the aesthetics of the design, but also has a limit on the layout due to the limited installation volume. Also, when units and wiring materials are reflected on the windshield,
When driving, there is a risk that the user may feel troublesome.

In some cases, only the antennas of each unit are separately separated and stored in an inner mirror in order to solve a problem in design.

However, when the weight of the inner mirror increases, a strong damper structure is required as a countermeasure against the vibration of the mirror. In addition, in order to prevent the driver from hitting the head or the like against the inner mirror in the event of a car accident, the inner mirror is mounted so that it can easily fall off. It is necessary to set extra lengths of the wiring members to be connected to the device, which involves design difficulties.

Furthermore, in recent years, with the development of image processing technology, there has been an example in which a CCD camera is attached to the outside of a vehicle, an image of the periphery of the vehicle is taken, and an image is displayed on a monitor installed in the vehicle (for example, see, for example). JP-A-5-238310 and JP-A-5-238314), when the CCD camera is to be disposed in a car to ensure waterproofness and durability, if the CCD camera is installed separately from other parts, the interior of the car is If the layout around the ceiling becomes complicated, and if it is to be attached to the inner mirror, as in the case described above, there is a problem of countermeasures against vibration of the mirror and a difficulty in designing wiring materials to be connected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an overhead console capable of efficiently integrating various electric components such as antennas and the above-mentioned CCD camera at one place.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems,
According to the first aspect of the present invention, at least one or more antennas for receiving and / or transmitting a radio signal between a console body installed from a roof interior of an automobile to an upper end portion of a windshield and an exterior of the automobile. With
The console body includes a roof portion installed on a lower surface of the roof interior, and a front portion that is in close contact with an upper end portion of the windshield, wherein the antenna is disposed and housed in the front portion of the console body. Is what is done.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic navigation system, the antenna is a GPS antenna for receiving GPS satellite radio waves, and a VIC for receiving road traffic information radio waves.
S antenna, automatic toll transmission / reception antenna for transmitting / receiving ID, usage fee, balance, etc. in the automatic toll collection system for toll roads, and door lock / lock with remote control
It is at least one of a keyless entry receiving antenna to be unlocked, a garage opener antenna for opening and closing the garage by remote control in the vehicle, and a radio communication antenna for a mobile phone or a PHS.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic toll transceiver which is housed in the console body and automatically transmits and receives a wireless signal for toll collection when using a toll road; And a recording information processing device connected to the automatic toll transmitter / receiver for recording and referring to usage history information on toll collection to and from a predetermined recording medium. It includes at least an automatic toll transmission / reception antenna connected to the device and transmitting and receiving the ID, usage fee, balance, and the like in the automatic toll collection system for toll roads.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a console main body installed from the interior of a roof of an automobile to an upper end of a windshield, and an in-vehicle imaging C for imaging the inside of the automobile.
CD camera and CC for imaging outside the vehicle to image the outside of the car
D console, the console body comprises a roof portion installed on the lower surface of the roof interior, and a front portion closely contacted with an upper end portion of the windshield, the in-car imaging CCD camera, The CCD camera for imaging outside the vehicle is disposed and stored in the roof portion of the console main body, and is disposed and stored in the front portion of the console main body.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, visible light is shielded between the storage position of the in-vehicle imaging CCD camera in the roof portion of the console body and the storage position of the out-of-vehicle imaging CCD camera in the front portion. And an infrared transmission filter that transmits infrared light.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to antennas necessary for various communication systems such as an automatic navigation (car navigation) system, a VICS information display system, and an automatic toll collection system for toll roads, and various electric components such as a CCD camera. Is efficiently provided at one place.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an overhead console according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the overhead console is installed in an upper part of an intermediate portion between a driver's seat and a passenger's seat from the interior of a vehicle roof (roof head lining) to the upper end of a windshield. Inside the main body 1, in addition to the room lamp 2, the clock 3, and these operation switches 4, the above-mentioned various antennas 5 to 10, the CCD cameras 11 and 12 for image pickup inside and outside the vehicle, the automatic charge transceiver 13, the automatic charge card reader 14 (recording information processing apparatus) and a circuit board 15 on which various antennas 5 to 10 are mounted.

The console body 1 is a storage case with an open top, in which a roof portion 21 installed on the lower surface of the roof head lining and a front portion 22 closely contacting the upper end of the windshield are integrally formed.

As shown in FIG. 1, a front portion 2 of a roof portion 21 is provided.
A light-transmitting window 21a for transmitting the irradiation light of the room lamp 2 into the vehicle is formed on the bottom wall portion in contact with the light-transmitting room lamp 2, and a light-transmitting room lamp cover 21b is fixed to the light-transmitting window 21a by pinning or the like. Mounted. A presentation hole 21c for presenting a time display section 3a of the timepiece 3 to a driver or the like is formed at the rear end of the roof section 21, and an automatic toll card is provided at one end of the bottom of the roof section 21. When the (IC card: recording medium) is inserted into the automatic fee card reader 14, an opening 21d for exposing the automatic fee card reader 14 is formed, and a lid 21e is attached to the opening 21d so as to be openable and closable. .

As shown in FIG. 2, an upper cover 23 as a lid is attached to the open upper surface of the roof portion 21 and attached to the roof head lining. On the open upper surface of the front portion 22, a visible image is taken out of the vehicle through the windshield CCD camera 12 so that the outside of the vehicle can be imaged through the windshield. An infrared transmission cover 24 made of resin or glass is attached as an infrared transmission filter that blocks light and transmits infrared light. A partition plate 25 formed integrally with the front end of the upper cover 23 is provided at the boundary between the roof portion 21 and the front portion 22 of the console body 1.
Is attached so as to separate the space in the roof portion 21 and the space in the front portion 22. The console main body 1 is attached to the vehicle body by forming a flange (not shown) in which a pin hole is formed at a part of the upper end of the roof 21 of the console main body 1 and forming a screw hole on the roof head lining side. Then, the flange portion may be screwed here. Although not shown, a storage portion for storing small items such as glasses may be provided in a part of the lower surface of the console main body 1 to improve user convenience.

The room lamp 2 is installed on a room lamp cover 21b attached to a light-transmitting window 21a of a roof 21 with a light-transmitting surface facing downward by a not-shown fixed frame or the like.

The timepiece 3 is a general digital type having a time display section 3a and a timer section 3b. As shown in FIG. 1, the time display section 3a is provided at the rear end of the roof section 21 with a presentation hole 21c. It is arranged to be exposed from.

The operation switches 4 are used for turning on / off the room lamp 2, setting the time of the clock 3, and setting the mode of the automatic charge collection system (use charge display mode / balance display mode, etc.). And are arranged at predetermined positions adjacent to the respective operation objects (room lamp 2, clock 3, automatic fee card reader 14, etc.).

The various antennas 5 to 10 are, specifically,
As shown in FIG. 2, a GPS antenna 5 for receiving a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite radio wave used for an automatic navigation (car navigation) system, and a VICS (Vehicle Information and Communica) for receiving a road traffic information radio wave.
Option System) Antenna 6, Automatic Toll Transmit / Receive Antenna 7 for transmitting / receiving ID, usage fee, balance, etc. in Toll Road Automatic Toll Collection System, Keyless Entry Receiving Antenna 8, Lock / Unlock Door Lock by Remote Control, Garage Open / Close , A garage opener antenna 9 for performing remote control in a vehicle, and a radio communication antenna 10 for a mobile phone or a PHS.
These various antennas 5 to 10 are each formed by patterning a copper foil on an insulating substrate made of ceramic or the like.

The in-vehicle image pickup CCD camera 11 is used to perform various vehicle controls such as unlocking of airbags and seat belts by pattern matching of the presence or absence of a person in each seat. Note that pattern matching, various vehicle controls, and the like are functionally operated by predetermined various devices (not shown) arranged at predetermined positions outside the console main body 1.

The CCD camera 12 for imaging outside the vehicle captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and displays the image on a monitor installed in the vehicle (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-238310 and 5-238310).
238314), or when raindrops adhere to the windshield and are used to drive-control a wiper (not shown) by pattern matching. Various devices (not shown) for displaying an image around the vehicle and controlling the driving of the wiper are arranged at predetermined positions outside the console main body 1.

The automatic toll transceiver 13 is used for automatically performing toll collection processing when using a toll road, and has a function of performing wireless communication (transmission and reception) with a roadside antenna, and A function of identifying a vehicle or a user by inputting / outputting a signal to / from the toll card reader 14 and payment of a toll on a toll road in accordance with information obtained by wireless communication with the automatic toll transmitting / receiving antenna 7 and a signal from the automatic toll card reader 14. And a function of recording information necessary for toll payment and usage history information in the automatic toll card reader 14.

The automatic fee card reader 14 is, for example, 8b
A known IC card (not shown) containing an EEPROM connected to the CPU of the it processing is inserted into a throttle to read and write usage history information and the like stored in the EEPROM so as to be written and updated. Card reader 14
The information read out in is transmitted to the automatic fee transmitter / receiver 13,
The information settled by the automatic charge transmitter / receiver 13 is added to the usage history information and the like by the automatic charge card reader 14, and the data in the EEPROM is recorded and updated.

The circuit board 15 mounts and connects the above-mentioned various antennas 5 to 10 by soldering or the like, and as shown in FIG. A combiner 26 as a so-called distributed constant circuit for preventing this is formed by a wiring pattern.
Specifically, the multiplexer 26 (distribution constant circuit) allows the various antennas 5 to 10 to transmit each other's signals by making the impedance at other signal frequencies infinite by a stub functioning as a frequency filter. It should not be affected. For example, the GPS antenna 5 handles a frequency signal of about 1.5 GHz, the VICS antenna 6 handles a frequency signal of about 2.5 GHz, and the various antennas 5 to 10 handle signals of different frequencies. By using a stub as a frequency filter, interference of signals between the various antennas 5 to 10 can be prevented. In the circuit board 15, an optical transmitting component (LED) and an optical receiving component (photodiode) for transmitting and receiving an optical beacon signal in an urban area are mounted together (not shown). Further, the circuit board 1
5, a DC power supply wiring pattern and a wiring pattern for other types of data transmission are formed together with the multiplexer 26 (not shown). The signal is synthesized by the multiplexer 26 in the same manner as the frequency signals handled by the various antennas 5 to 10.
As described above, it is sufficient to combine a plurality of types of signals by the multiplexer 26 of the circuit board 15 and transmit the electric signals to various devices in the automobile. 1 can be easily routed.

If any one of the various antennas 5 to 10 needs to be freely detachable, the part of the circuit board 15 can be separated from the other part as necessary. The circuit is configured to be detachably mounted and connected to the circuit.

Here, the overhead console is shown in FIG.
, It is configured as a separate body from the inner mirror 28. As a result, it is possible to prevent the weight of the inner mirror 28 from increasing, so that a strong damper structure is not required as a countermeasure against the vibration of the mirror. The inner mirror 28 is configured to easily fall off.

In the overhead console having the above configuration, various antennas 5 to 10 are integrated and mounted on the front portion 22 of the console body 1 and can transmit and receive various radio waves through the nearest windshield. The radio wave is not blocked by the body, and the distance between transmission and reception with the outside can be made as close as possible while in the vehicle, so that the transmission and reception sensitivity of various radio waves can be improved.

Then, various antennas 5 to 10 and CCDs
The cameras 11, 12 and the like can be compactly integrated and housed in the console main body 1, and the design can be improved as compared with a case where each part is individually installed on the ceiling, and the reflection on the windshield is reduced. The visibility of the driver is not deteriorated.

Further, since the multiplexer 26 is formed on the circuit board 15, each of the elements 2 to 1 inside the console body 1 is formed.
If some of the wiring from 4 to the various devices in the vehicle is shared, only at least one wire cable 30 needs to be used, and the design of the wiring can be facilitated.

In the above-described embodiment, the multiplexer 26 of the circuit board 15 is a distributed constant circuit in which a stub is formed in a pattern. However, a lumped constant circuit composed of a coil and a capacitor is used. Or a multiplexing / synthesizing unit or a time-division combining unit utilizing the difference in signal frequencies processed by the various antennas 5 to 10 may be used.

As the various antennas, a GPS antenna 5, a VICS antenna 6, an automatic transmission / reception antenna 7, a keyless entry reception antenna 8, a garage antenna and a radio communication antenna 10 are all mounted. Any one or more of these elements may be omitted. In this case, the circuit board 15 is provided so that the omitted elements can be optionally added later.
Is desirably configured to be connected to the circuit so that a part of the part can be attached to and separated from the other part.

[0034]

According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the antenna is housed in the front portion of the console main body, radio waves are not blocked by the conductive body of the automobile, and The distance between transmission and reception with the outside can be made as close as possible while in the vehicle, and the transmission and reception sensitivity of various radio waves can be improved. In addition, if multiple antennas are integrated and stored in the front part, the layout of the antennas can be made more compact than when each part is individually installed on the ceiling, the design can be improved, and the reflection on the windshield can be improved. As a result, the visibility of the driver is prevented from deteriorating.

In this case, since the console body is installed separately from the inner mirror, it can be prevented from increasing the weight of the inner mirror, and a strong damper structure is required as a measure against vibration of the mirror. In addition, since there is no need to provide wiring materials in the inner mirror, the inner mirror can be easily dropped off in the event of a car accident.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the automatic toll transceiver and the recording information processing device are housed together in the console body, so that the electrical equipment other than the antenna is also integrated in the overhead console. It is possible to further improve compactness and to omit as much wiring material as possible outside the overhead console, which is convenient.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, two CCD cameras for imaging the inside and outside of the automobile can be integrated together in the console body, and the compactness can be improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, each CCD
Since the infrared transmission filter is attached to the storage position of the camera, it is possible to prevent the CCD camera from directly entering the eyes inside and outside the room, and to enhance the design of the overhead console.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overhead console according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overhead console viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a circuit board on which various antennas are mounted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Console main body 2 Room lamp 3 Clock 4 Operation switches 5 GPS antenna 6 VICS antenna 7 Automatic transmission / reception antenna 8 Keyless entry reception antenna 9 Garage opener antenna 10 Radio communication antenna 11 CCD camera for in-vehicle imaging 12 CCD camera for exterior imaging 13 Automatic Toll Transmitter / Receiver 14 Automatic Toll Card Reader 15 Circuit Board 21 Roof 21a Translucent Window 21b Room Lamp Cover 21c Presentation Hole 21d Opening 21e Lid 22 Front Part 23 Upper Cover 24 Infrared Transmission Cover 25 Divider 26 Combiner 28 Inner Mirror 30 wire cable

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on front page (72) Inventor Kazuki Takimoto 1-7-10 Kikuzumi, Minami-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Harness Research Institute, Inc.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A console body installed from a roof interior of an automobile to an upper end of a windshield, and at least one or more antennas for receiving and / or transmitting a radio signal between the console and an exterior of the automobile. The console body includes a roof portion installed on a lower surface of the roof interior, and a front portion closely contacted with an upper end portion of the windshield, wherein the antenna is disposed and housed in the front portion of the console body. Overhead console. 2. The overhead console according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is a GPS antenna for receiving a GPS satellite radio wave, a VICS antenna for receiving a road traffic information radio wave, and an automatic toll collection for a toll road in an automatic navigation system. Automatic fee transmitting / receiving antenna for transmitting / receiving ID, usage fee, balance, etc. in the system, keyless entry receiving antenna for locking / unlocking door lock by remote control, garage opener antenna for opening / closing garage by remote control in the vehicle, and mobile phone An overhead console comprising at least one of a radio communication antenna for a telephone and a PHS. 3. The overhead console according to claim 1, wherein the overhead console is housed in the console body and automatically transmits and receives a radio signal for toll collection when using a toll road. A recording information processing device that is housed in the console body, is connected to the automatic fee transmission / reception device, and records and refers to usage history information on fee collection on a predetermined recording medium; An overhead console, comprising at least an automatic toll transmitting / receiving antenna connected to the automatic toll transceiver for transmitting and receiving an ID, a usage fee, a balance, and the like in an automatic toll collection system for toll roads. 4. A console body installed from the interior of the roof of the automobile to the upper end of the windshield, a CCD camera for in-vehicle imaging for imaging the interior of the automobile, and a CCD camera for exterior imaging for imaging the outside of the automobile. The console body includes a roof portion installed on a lower surface of the roof interior, and a front portion that is in close contact with an upper end portion of the windshield. The in-vehicle imaging CCD camera includes the console body. An overhead console arranged and stored in a roof portion, wherein the CCD camera for imaging outside the vehicle is arranged and stored in the front portion of the console body. 5. The overhead console according to claim 4, wherein a storage position of the in-vehicle imaging CCD camera in the roof portion of the console body and a storage position of the out-of-vehicle imaging CCD camera in the front portion. An overhead console, comprising an infrared transmission filter that blocks visible light and transmits infrared light.