JPS6245201Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a photo-detection type vehicle load control device that controls the operation of a vehicle load (for example, a headlamp, etc.) according to the ambient illumination level (for example, nighttime illumination, etc.).

In recent years, various devices have been proposed for electrical components installed in automobiles (hereinafter referred to as in-vehicle loads) that use optical sensors to perform various drive controls based on the illuminance level inside and outside the vehicle as an operating condition. .

For example, when the outside illuminance of a car decreases and the vehicle becomes dark, a photoelectric element detects the decrease in the outside illumination and turns on the headlamp automatically, and an air conditioner headlamp (hereinafter referred to as (abbreviated simply as "air conditioner"), which controls the operation of the cooler according to the intensity of sunlight entering the interior of the car, or instrument panel illumination (hereinafter simply referred to as illumination). ) Optical detection type operation control using optical sensors is performed on various vehicle-mounted loads, such as those that adjust the brightness of the vehicle according to the ambient illuminance.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the above-mentioned photodetection type control device includes a photosensor 1 that detects ambient illuminance, an amplifier 2 that amplifies the received light signal from this photosensor 1 to a predetermined level, and an output of this amplifier 2. Depending on whether the level exceeds a predetermined standard level, a predetermined on-vehicle load 4 is turned ON/OFF, or when the output level of the amplifier 2 is within a predetermined level range, the output It is comprised of a control circuit 3 that increases or decreases the current applied to a predetermined on-vehicle load 4 and switches the duty of an electrical signal applied in a pulsed manner in accordance with the level.

By the way, in order to control the operation of multiple on-vehicle loads such as the above-mentioned headlamp lighting control, air conditioner operation control, illumination brightness adjustment control, etc., the light detection type control device shown in Fig. 1 can be used for each of the above-described operations. It is sufficient to attach it to each on-vehicle load, but at this time, the characteristics of the optical sensor 1 vary due to differences in illuminance and temperature differences depending on each location in the vehicle, resulting in unstable operation. Therefore, it is desirable to control each vehicle load based on a light reception signal from one optical sensor provided at an appropriate location in the vehicle.

In addition, the illuminance level ranges set as the operating ranges for each of the on-vehicle loads mentioned above are, as shown in FIG. , an operating region C for controlling the operation of the air conditioner (in which the temperature rise in the vehicle interior is detected by the illuminance, so the illuminance is high) exists over a wide range. In this way, since there are regions that are relatively far apart, the difference in the light reception output level in the optical sensor 1 also becomes correspondingly large.

For this reason, the amplifier 2 needs to be adapted to the output level from the optical sensor 1 at the preceding stage and the input level to the control circuit 3 at the next stage. Use amplifiers with different input ranges and gains for each electrical load, such as using a high input range, low gain amplifier for the control device, and a low input range, high gain amplifier for the light detection type control device for light lighting control. Is required.

However, as mentioned above, the photo-detection type on-vehicle load control device that uses multiple amplifiers with different input ranges and gains for each on-vehicle load is expensive to manufacture and requires a lot of man-hours when assembling it into the vehicle. There are problems such as overloading.

This idea was made in view of the above problem, and uses a compression amplification circuit that compresses and amplifies the received light signal from a photosensor. It is an object of the present invention to provide a photodetection type vehicle-mounted load control device that can solve the above problems by controlling the operation of a plurality of electrical loads.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the photo-detection type on-vehicle load control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 and subsequent drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of this invention, and this photo-detection type on-board load control device 10 includes:
an optical sensor 11 for detecting ambient illuminance; a logarithmic amplifier 12 that logarithmically compresses and amplifies the received light signal output from the optical sensor 11 by using a log diode 13 as a feedback element; and the logarithmic amplifier 12. Based on the output from the air conditioner 5
a, a control circuit 1 that controls the operation of a plurality of on-vehicle loads such as a headlamp 5b, an illumination 5c, etc.
It is roughly composed of 4, 15, and 16.

Each of the control circuits 14, 15, and 16 is similar to the conventional one shown in FIG.
It turns on and off, increases and decreases the current applied to the on-vehicle load, and switches the duty of the electric signal applied in pulse form.

In the photo-detection type on-vehicle load control device 10 configured as described above, the photo sensor 11 is installed, for example, in the upper instrument compartment of the glove box 22 on the passenger seat 21 side of the automobile 20, as shown in FIG. By attaching it to the surface of the news 23, the illuminance inside and outside the vehicle can be accurately detected over a wide range of levels.

For example, when the illuminance inside and outside the vehicle decreases, such as when driving at night, the optical sensor 11 outputs a weak, low-level light reception signal.

This low level output is amplified with high gain by the logarithmic amplifier 12, and is then amplified by the control circuit 1 for headlamp lighting control or illumination brightness adjustment control.
5 and 16 are amplified to a level that performs control operations.

Furthermore, when the solar radiation intensity becomes extremely strong during daytime driving, a high-level light reception signal is output from the optical sensor 11, and this high-level output is amplified with a low gain by the logarithmic amplifier 12 to operate the air conditioner. The signal is amplified to suit the level at which the control circuit 14 performs the control operation.

As explained above, the optical detection type on-vehicle load control device of this invention is equipped with a compression amplifier that compresses and amplifies the received light signal from the optical sensor that detects ambient illuminance.
It is possible to use a single amplifier to control the operation of multiple on-vehicle loads whose operating ranges of illumination levels, such as illumination, are relatively far apart, while reducing manufacturing costs and man-hours during vehicle assembly. It has advantages such as being able to realize the following.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional photo-detection type on-vehicle load control device, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the illuminance level range that is the operating range of various on-vehicle loads, and Fig. 3 is a photo-detection type according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the on-vehicle load control device, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of how the optical sensor of the device is installed inside an automobile. 11... Optical sensor, 12... Logarithmic amplifier, 1
4, 15, 16...control circuit, 5a, 5b, 5c
...Vehicle load.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A control device for each of the on-vehicle loads in a case where the on-vehicle loads have a plurality of on-vehicle loads whose operating range is a predetermined illuminance level range, and the illuminance level ranges of the on-vehicle loads are relatively far apart. The vehicle includes: an optical sensor that detects ambient illuminance; a compression amplifier that compresses and amplifies the output of the optical sensor; and a plurality of control circuits that control operations of the plurality of on-vehicle loads based on the output of the compression amplifier. A photo-detection type on-vehicle load control device characterized by: