Car-mounted device control system

• US 7,177,741 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Chikao
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/492,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20040195031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/1, 701/41, 180/271
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment

Abstract

A car-mounted device control system is obtained which can prevent or lessen erroneous operation of operating portions, switches, and the like during rotation of a steering wheel. When a CPU 16 starts up a function switching program from a storage medium 24 on the basis of an inputted touch signal, a present center control unit 10 compares a comparative rotational position R0 read from the storage medium 24 and a rotational position detection signal R from a steering angle sensor 32. As a result, when the rotational position detection signal R exceeds the comparative rotational position R0, a touch signal and a click signal are cancelled. Thus, inadvertent switching of functions due to a body touching a controller 70 while a steering wheel 22 is rotated can be prevented.

Claims

1. A car-mounted device control system for controlling a predetermined car-mounted device which is mounted in a car, comprising:

operating means provided integrally with a steering wheel which steers a car by rotation-operation around a predetermined axis, the operating means having an operation surface whose surface is a flat surface or a curved surface, and detecting at least a position of an object to be detected on the operation surface, and outputting at least an operation signal corresponding to the position of the object to be detected on the operation surface;

rotation detecting means for detecting rotation of the steering wheel;

control means for controlling the car-mounted device on the basis of the operation signal, and nullifying the operation signal on the basis of a rotation detection signal from the rotation detecting means,

wherein the rotation detecting means includes rotational speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed of the steering wheel, and outputting a rotational speed detection signal, which corresponds to the rotational speed, to the control means as the rotation detection signal,

and the control means nullifies the operation signal on the basis of the rotational speed detection signal in a case in which the rotational speed is a predetermined magnitude or greater.

2. The car-mounted device control system of claim 1, wherein the operating means includes:

position detecting means for detecting a position, on the operation surface, of the object to be detected which touches the operation surface; and

pressure detecting means for detecting that pressing force of a predetermined magnitude or greater is imparted to the operation surface,

and the operation signal includes;

a first operation signal outputted from the position detecting means and corresponding to the position of the object to be detected on the operation surface; and

a second operation signal outputted from the pressure detecting means in a case in which the pressure imparted to the operation surface is a predetermined magnitude,

and the control means nullifies the first operation signal and/or the second operation signal due to the rotation detection signal being inputted.

3. The car-mounted device control system of claim 2, wherein the rotation detecting means includes rotational position detecting means for detecting a rotational position of the steering wheel, and outputting a rotational position detection signal, which corresponds to the rotational position, to the control means as the rotation detection signal,

and the control means nullifies the first operation signal and/or the second operation signal on the basis of the rotational position detection signal when the steering wheel reaches a predetermined rotational position or when the steering wheel goes beyond the predetermined rotational position.

4. The car-mounted device control system of claim 3, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

5. The car-mounted device control system of claim 2,

wherein the control means nullifies the first operation signal and/or the second operation signal on the basis of the rotational speed detection signal in a case in which the rotational speed is a predetermined magnitude or greater.

6. The car-mounted device control system of claim 5, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

7. The car-mounted device control system of claim 2, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

8. The car-mounted device control system of claim 3,

wherein the control means nullifies the first operation signal and/or the second operation signal on the basis of the rotational speed detection signal in a case in which the rotational speed is a predetermined magnitude or greater.

9. The car-mounted device control system of claim 8, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

10. The car-mounted device control system of claim 1, wherein the rotation detecting means includes rotational position detecting means for detecting a rotational position of the steering wheel, and outputting a rotational position detection signal, which corresponds to the rotational position, to the control means as the rotation detection signal,

and the control means nullifies the operation signal on the basis of the rotational position detection signal when the steering wheel reaches a predetermined rotational position or when the steering wheel goes beyond the predetermined rotational position.

11. The car-mounted device control system of claim 10, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

12. The car-mounted device control system of claim 1, comprising timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

13. A car mounted device control system for controlling a predetermined car-mounted device which is mounted in a car, comprising:

operating means provided integrally with a steering wheel which steers a car by rotation-operation around a predetermined axis, the operating means having an operation surface whose surface is a flat surface or a curved surface, and detecting at least a position of an object to be detected on the operation surface, and outputting at least an operation signal corresponding to the position of the object to be detected on the operation surface;

rotation detecting means for detecting rotation of the steering wheel;

control means for controlling the car-mounted device on the basis of the operation signal, and nullifying the operation signal on the basis of a rotation detection signal from the rotation detecting means.

timer means for counting elapsed time from a time when one signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted to the control means,

wherein the control means nullifies the operation signal in a case in which, before or after a count value at the timer means reaches a predetermined value, another signal of the rotation detection signal and the operation signal is inputted.

14. A car-mounted device control system for controlling a predetermined car-mounted device which is mounted in a car, comprising:

operating means provided integrally with a steering wheel which steers a car by rotation-operation around a predetermined axis, the operating means having an operation surface whose surface is a flat surface or a curved surface, and detecting at least a position of an object to be detected on the operation surface, and outputting at least an operation signal corresponding to the position of the object to be detected on the operation surface on the basis of a continuous touch signal;

rotational position detecting means for detecting a rotational position of the steering wheel;

a car speed sensor for detecting the traveling a speed the car, and

control means for controlling the car-mounted device on the basis of the operation signal, and correcting the operation signal, on the basis of the rotational position detection signal, in accordance with a rotational position of the operating means and

for nullifying said continuous touch signal when said car speed sensor detects that the car is traveling.

15. The car mounted control system of claim 14, wherein the continuous touch signal is corrected to a corrected touch signal when said car speed sensor detects that the car has stopped.

16. A car-mounted device control system for controlling a predetermined car-mounted device wich is mounted in a car, comprising:

operating means provided integrally with a steering wheel which steers a car by rotation-operation around a predetermined axis, the operating means having an operation surface whose surface is a flat surface or a curved surface, and detecting at least a position of an object to be detected on the operation surface, and outputting at least an operation signal corresponding to the position of the object to be detected on the operation surface;

rotational position detecting means for detecting a rotational position of the steering wheel;

a car speed sensor for detecting the traveling speed of the car, and

control means for controlling the car-mounted device on the basis of the operation signal, and correcting the operation signal

on the basis of the rotational position detection signal, in accordance with a rotational position of the operating means, and

on the basis of the detected result detected by the car speed sensor whether the car is traveling or not.