Vehicle on board television system

• US 5,541,572 A
• Filed: 11/23/1993
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Shinya, Imoto, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANNAVA, ASHOK K
• Application Number:
  US08/157,591
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 340/428, 340/438, 340/457.3, 340/525, 340/522, 364/424.05, 364/426.01-.02, 364/431.09, 348/837
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

An automobile onboard television system by which a normal television picture is displayed only when the automobile is stopped, as a safety feature. An image display condition of the television is switched over in response to an image display switching signal from a microcomputer. Information as to setting of the automobile parking brake, information about the accessory input in the automobile, and information indicating a time-out of a timer circuit are supplied to the microcomputer. The microcomputer determines the logical product of this information, to supply an image display switching signal for displaying a normal picture on the television only when particular logical products are output. The driver is therefore kept from watching the television while driving, and hence from driving carelessly.

Claims

1. An onboard vehicular television device for a vehicle, the vehicle including a switch indicating a parking state of the vehicle and an accessory power supply, the device comprising:

a timer circuit;

a display screen; and

a controller;

wherein an image display condition of said display screen is switched such that the display screen displays normal images in response to an image display switching signal transmitted from said controller,

wherein the controller receives a first signal from the switch indicating the parking state of the vehicle, a second signal indicating an activation of the accessory power supply, and a third signal generated by the timer circuit, and

wherein said controller generates the image display switching signal only when the first signal from said switch indicates that said vehicle is in said parking state, said second signal from said accessory power supply indicates that said accessory power supply has been activated, and said third signal from said timer circuit indicates that a predetermined time period has expired since a previous deactivation of said accessory power supply.

2. An onboard television device according to claim 1, wherein said third signal information indicates a time-out of a timer.

3. An onboard television device according to claim 1, wherein said third signal indicates that a preset time has been reached.

4. An onboard television device according to claim 1, wherein said first signal indicating said parking state is from detecting whether a shift lever of said vehicle has been set to a parking state and whether said shift lever is held set to the parking state.

5. An onboard television device according to claim 1, wherein said first signal indicating said parking state is from detecting whether a hand brake of said vehicle has been set and whether said hand brake is held set.