Remote control dock system and method

• US 8,471,965 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Strohmaier, Jason Michael, Wecker, Eric Joshua, Ambrose, Aaron Michael, Feit, Steven, Dutter, Jason Alexander, Ikunami, Takahiro, Hirota, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUCKLE JR, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US13/448,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.99, 348/211.12, 348/114, 348/836, 348/837, 348/838, 348/839, 348/840, 348/841, 348/842
• US Class Current: 348/837
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7075 including discrete retainer

Abstract

A vehicle entertainment system and method to prevent a mechanical connection between certain components of an entertainment system for a vehicle can include an entertainment system housing containing a plurality of entertainment components and a remote control module. The remote control module can include a user interface on a surface of the remote control module. In addition, the remote control module can be configured to prevent secure mounting of the remote control module to the entertainment system housing when the remote control module is not the appropriate remote control module for the particular vehicle entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method for mounting a removable remote control module to an entertainment system of a vehicle, the entertainment system including a housing and a recess in the housing defining a docking surface to removably receive the remote control module when the remote control module is mounted to the housing, the method comprising:

providing the housing with a lock pin movably mounted and biased to protrude through the docking surface, and a locator rib extending from the docking surface at a location spaced a first distance (D1) from an end of the lock pin;

providing the remote control module with an outer surface, a lock pin detent formed in the outer surface, and a locator rib recess in the outer surface spaced from the lock pin detent at a second distance (D2);

orienting the remote control module so that the locator rib recess faces the locator rib;

inserting the remote control module into the recess in the housing while facing the locator rib recess toward the locator rib;

while inserting the remote control module, permitting, through cooperative interaction of the outer surface of the remote control module with the docking surface, alignment of the locator rib recess with the locator rib and alignment of the lock pin detent with the lock pin when the second distance (D2) equals the first distance (D1);

while inserting the remote control module, preventing, through cooperative interaction of the outer surface of the remote control module with the docking surface, alignment of the locator rib recess with the locator rib and alignment of the lock pin detent with the lock pin when the second distance (D2) does not equal the first distance (D1);

biasing the lock pin into secure engagement with the lock pin detent and mounting the remote control module securely in the housing recess when permitting alignment between the lock pin detent and the lock pin; and

disallowing secure engagement of the lock pin detent with the lock pin when preventing alignment between the lock pin detent and the lock pin.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein preventing alignment includes:

engaging the locator rib with the outer surface of the remote control module at a position spaced from the locator rib recess; and

engaging a portion of the outer surface the remote control module with another portion of the docking surface such that engagement of the outer surface by the locator rib and the docking surface cooperates to block further insertion of the remote control module into the recess of the housing.