Electric current control circuit for switches

• US 5,585,781 A
• Filed: 08/17/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Sumida, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US08/516,289
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/518, 340/519, 340/517, 340/521, 340/510, 340/458, 340/459, 340/455
• US Class Current: 340/459
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J

Abstract

In a device for detecting the operative states of switches, a common switching device 17 is connected in series with input resistors 16, and currents flowing into switching circuits are cut off when it is judged based on the states of switches 10 to 15 that a vehicle is being parked. Further, a detector 19 is so set as to perform its detection only at specified intervals. The switching device 17 is turned on at the detection timing of the detector 19 and is, when the detector 19 performs no detection, turned off so as to prevent the currents from flowing into the respective switching circuits. With the above construction, the currents flowing into the switching circuits can perfectly be cut off while the vehicle is being parked, and the input resistors in use are less than in the prior art. Further, since the currents flow through the input resistors at specified intervals, an average power consumption of each input resistor can be reduced, enabling the use of input resistors having a low rated power.

Claims

1. An electric current control circuit for automotive vehicles having a plurality of switching circuits each comprising a switch, said circuit controlling the cutting off of all current flow to the switching circuits, comprising:

a common switching device connected with the respective switching circuits so as to switch on and off an electric current flowing into each switching circuit to indicate the state of the switch thereof,

detector means connected to the switching circuits'"'"' switches for detecting the on and off states thereof and for producing indicative outputs while detecting the states, and

controller means having an input connected with the detector means for receiving said indicative outputs and having an output connected with the common switching device for controlling the common switching device in accordance with said indicative outputs from the detector means and switching off said common switching device to cut off all current flow to the switching circuits when a selected combination of switches of said switching circuits is detected to be in the off state.

2. A control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising an ignition start switch provided in the ignition system of the automotive vehicle, said ignition start switch being connected with the detector means (19) for detecting the state of said ignition start switch.

3. A control circuit according to claim 2, wherein said switches in said switching circuits respectively comprise a door open indicating switch, an ignition key switch, a door lock on indicating switch, a door lock release on indicating switch, and a door lock motor position detection switch, and wherein the common switching device is switched off cutting off all current to the switching circuits when the vehicle is being parked as indicated by the combination of at least said ignition switch, said door open indicating switch, said door lock on indicating switch, and said door lock release on indicating switch, all being in the off state.

4. A control circuit according to claim 2, wherein the controller means cuts off all current flow to the switching circuits when the ignition start switch is detected to be in the ON state.

5. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the common switching device is connected with a power supply means for supplying electric current to the plurality of switching circuits when the common switching device is switched on.

6. A control circuit according to claim 5, wherein the controller means causes the detector means to perform detection reading of the states of the switches at specified intervals during which the common switching device is caused to switch on, and wherein the common switching device is caused to switch off while the detector means does not perform the detection reading so as to cut off the flow of electric current from the power supply into the respective switches when no detection reading is being performed.

7. A control circuit according to claim 6, wherein the detector means is provided with specified times for a detection reading at intervals of 5 msec. or less, preferably less than 1 msec. and, accordingly, the common switching device is periodically switched on for 5 msec. or less, preferably less than 1 msec.

8. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the controller means causes the detector means to perform the detection of the states of the switches at specified intervals during which the common switching device is caused to be switched on, and wherein the controller means causes the common switching device to be switched off while the detector means does not perform the detection so as to cut off the flow of electric current into the respective switches when no detection is being performed.

9. A control circuit according to claim 8, wherein the controller means causes the detector means to perform the detection of the states at a speed of 5 msec. or less, preferably less than 1 msec., and causes the common switching device to correspondingly switch on for 5 msec. or less, preferably less than 1 msec.

10. A control circuit according to claim 9, wherein the controller means causes the detector means to perform the detection of the states at a repetition frequency between 1 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 5 Hz and 20 Hz.

11. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the switching circuits comprises an input resistor connected between the switch and the detector means.

12. A control circuit according to claim 11, wherein each of the switching circuits comprises another input resistor connected between the switch and the common switching device.

13. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the common switching device comprises a switching transistor the base of which is connected with the controller means.

14. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the detector means performs detection reading of the states of the switches at specified times and the controller means causes the common switching device to be only switched on during the detection reading of the detector means.

15. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the detector means performs detection reading of the states of the switches with a detection reading repetition frequency between 1 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 5 Hz and 20 Hz.

16. A control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the controller means causes the common switching device to only be switched on during the performing of the detection by the detector means.

17. Apparatus for cutting off all current flow to a set of operating switches in an automotive vehicle when the vehicle is parked, comprising:

a plurality of switching circuits each comprising a respective switch of said set;

a common switching device connected with the respective switching circuits so as to switch on and off an electric current flowing into each switching circuit to indicate the ON and OFF state of the switch thereof;

detector means connected to the switches for detecting the ON and OFF states thereof and for producing respective indicative signals of said states; and

controller means having a connection to said detector means for receiving said state indicative signals and a connection with the common switching device for controlling the common switching device in accordance with said state indicative signals to cut off all current flow to the switching circuits when a selected combination of switches of said switching circuits is indicated to be in the OFF state.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said switches in said switching circuits comprise:

an ignition start switch in the ignition system of the automotive vehicle and a door open indicating switch, an ignition key switch, a door lock on indicating switch, a door lock release on indicating switch, and a door lock motor position detection switch; and

said selected combination comprises at least said ignition switch, said door open indicating switch, said door lock on indicating switch, and said door lock release on indicating switch.

19. A method for cutting off all electric current flow to a set of switching circuits in an automotive vehicle having a plurality of switching circuits each comprising a switch, a common switching device connected with the respective switching circuits so as to switch on and off an electric current flowing into each switching circuit to indicate the state of the switch thereof, and a detector system connected to the switches for detecting the ON and OFF states thereof and producing indicative signals of the states, comprising the steps of:

providing said state indicative signals to a controller;

outputting signals from said controller to said common switching device in accordance with said state indicative signals; and

causing said common switching device to switch off all current flow to the switching circuits when a selected combination of switches of said switching circuits is indicated to be in the OFF state by said state indicative signals.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein an ignition start switch is provided in the ignition system of the automotive vehicle and connected with the detector system for detecting the state thereof and said switches in said switching circuits comprise a door open indicating switch, an ignition key switch, a door lock on indicating switch, a door lock release on indicating switch, and a door lock motor position detection switch, and wherein the common switching device is caused to switch off when the vehicle is being parked as indicated by the combination of at least said ignition switch, said door open indicating switch, said door lock on indicating switch, and said door lock release on indicating switch, all being indicated as in the OFF state.