Automobile-installed-apparatus controller

• US 5,990,571 A
• Filed: 06/23/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroyuki, Ito, Susumu, Yokoyama, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/880,119
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 701/36, 340/825.3-825.32, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 Decoding impedances
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/056 Keyboard or overlay identification features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/04 Programmable interface between a set of switches and a set of functions, e.g. for reconfiguration of a control panel

Abstract

An automobile-installed-apparatus controller includes: a plurality of types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in discrimination devices with different circuit constants; unit mounts on which the plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted; and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of the plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on the unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of the built-in discrimination device is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result.

Claims

1. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller comprising:

a plurality of function types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in discrimination devices with different circuit constants;

unit mounts on which said plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted, any of the control-designation units being mountable on any of the unit mounts;

and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of said plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on said unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of said built-in discrimination device is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result.

2. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination devices with different circuit constants comprise resistor devices with different resistances, and said control-designation-unit determiner for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit comprises resistor devices combining with said built-in discrimination devices to constitute resistance-type potential dividers, and a control unit for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit by sequentially selecting the divided voltages from said resistance-type potential dividers.

3. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes an indicator lamp.

4. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes a light-emitting diode for indicating operation of said control-designation unit.

5. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of types of control-designation units include a switch for adjusting the quantity of the airflow from an automobile air-conditioner, a switch for adjusting the output position of the airflow, and a switch for adjusting temperature.

6. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes an indicator lamp.

7. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes a light-emitting diode for indicating operation of said control-designation unit.

8. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of types of control-designation units include a switch for adjusting the quantity of the airflow from an automobile air-conditioner, a switch for adjusting the output position of the airflow, and a switch for adjusting temperature.

9. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 1, wherein an operation corresponding to the function of the mounted control-designation unit can be executed upon determination of the type of the mounted control-designation unit.

10. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller comprising:

a plurality of function types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in discrimination devices with different circuit constants;

unit mounts on which said plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted, any of the control-designation units being mountable on any of the unit mounts;

and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of said plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on said unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of said built-in discrimination device is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result, wherein said control-designation-unit determiner for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit comprises resistor devices combining with said built-in discrimination devices to constitute resistance-type potential dividers, and a control unit for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit by sequentially selecting the divided voltages from said resistance-type potential dividers.

11. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes an indicator lamp.

12. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of types of control-designation units includes a light-emitting diode for indicating operation of said control-designation unit.

13. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of types of control-designation units include a switch for adjusting the quantity of the airflow from an automobile air-conditioner, a switch for adjusting the output position of the airflow, and a switch for adjusting temperature.

14. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 10, wherein an operation corresponding to the function of the mounted control-designation unit can be executed upon determination of the type of the mounted control-designation unit.

15. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller comprising:

a plurality of function types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in capacitors with different capacitances;

unit mounts on which said plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted, any of the control-designation units being mountable on any of the unit mounts;

and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of said plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on said unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of said built-in capacitor is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result,

wherein said control-designation-unit determiner comprises capacitors combining with said built-in capacitors to constitute ac-signal-type potential dividers, and a control unit for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit by sequentially selecting the divided voltages from said ac-signal-type potential dividers.

16. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 15, wherein an operation corresponding to the function of the mounted control-designation unit can be executed upon determination of the type of the mounted control-designation unit.

17. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller comprising:

a plurality of types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in discrimination devices with different circuit constants;

unit mounts on which said plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted;

and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of said plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on said unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of said built-in discrimination device is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result, and

wherein said plurality of types of control-designation units include a switch for adjusting the quantity of the airflow from an automobile air-conditioner, a switch for adjusting the output position of the airflow, and a switch for adjusting temperature.

18. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller according to claim 17, wherein said discrimination devices with different circuit constants comprise resistor devices with different resistances, and said control-designation-unit determiner for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit comprises resistor devices combining with said built-in discrimination devices to constitute resistance-type potential dividers, and a control unit for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit by sequentially selecting the divided voltages from said resistance-type potential dividers.

19. An automobile-installed-apparatus controller comprising:

a plurality of types of control-designation units having different switching functions and built-in discrimination devices with different circuit constants;

unit mounts on which said plurality of types of control-designation units are capable of being mounted;

and a control-designation-unit determiner in which when any one of said plurality of types of control-designation units is mounted on said unit mount, a value dependent on the circuit constant of said built-in discrimination device is detected, and the type of the mounted control-designation unit is determined based on the detected result,

wherein;

said control-designation-unit determiner for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit comprises resistor devices combining with said built-in discrimination devices to constitute resistance-type potential dividers, and a control unit for determining the type of the mounted control-designation unit by sequentially selecting the divided voltages from said resistance-type potential dividers, and

said plurality of types of control-designation units include a switch for adjusting the quantity of the airflow from an automobile air-conditioner, a switch for adjusting the output position of the airflow, and a switch for adjusting temperature.