On-board unit

• US 20070243813A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,612,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1446 Reducing contamination, e.g. by dust, debris

Abstract

An on-board unit includes a dust sensor for detecting an amount of dust in an air in a vehicle. When the amount of dust is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and a front panel of the unit is open, the front panel is moved to close a media slot and insertion/ejection operation of a medium is prohibited as a preventive measure for dust intrusion.

Claims

1. An onboard apparatus for reading information stored on a memory medium that is inserted into the apparatus from an opening for medium insertion, the apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a dust sensor for detecting an amount of dust in an air in the vehicle; and

a dust protector for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust through the opening in a preventive manner,

wherein the dust protector performs a preventive operation for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust when the dust in the amount that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected by the dust sensor.

4. The onboard apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein an audio playback part for performing an insertion operation of the memory medium upon receiving a request for media insertion through the opening and an ejection operation of the memory medium upon receiving a request for media ejection through the opening is provided in the apparatus,

the dust protector includes a request determiner that determines whether the request for media insertion or the request for media ejection exists, and

the dust protector includes a prohibition unit that prohibits the insertion operation of the memory medium through the opening or the ejection operation of the memory medium through the opening when the request determiner determines that the request for media insertion or the request for media ejection exists.

5. The onboard apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein a tilt mechanism for tilting a panel away from a front of the opening and tilting the panel back to the front of the opening upon receiving user operation is provided in the apparatus,

the dust protector includes a panel detector for detecting whether the panel is positioned in front of the opening, and

the dust protector includes a panel controller for controlling the tilt mechanism to tilt the panel back to the front of the opening when the panel detector detects that the panel is positioned in front of the opening.

2. An onboard apparatus for reading information stored on a memory medium that is inserted into the apparatus from an opening for medium insertion, the apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a position detector for acquiring a current position of the vehicle;

a map reader for reading map data;

an area locator for determining whether the vehicle is in a dusty area based on the current position of the vehicle derived from the position detector and the map data derived from the map reader; and

a dust protector for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust through the opening in a preventive manner,

wherein the dust protector performs a preventive operation for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust when the current position of the vehicle is located in the dusty area.

3. An onboard apparatus for reading information stored on a memory medium that is inserted into the apparatus from an opening for medium insertion, the apparatus for use in a vehicle comprising:

a position detector for acquiring a current position of the vehicle;

a dust sensor for detecting an amount of dust in an air in the vehicle; and

a position recorder for recording a dusty position that identifies a position where the dust in an amount that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected by the dust sensor;

a position locator for determining whether the vehicle is going to pass the dusty position based on the current position derived from the position detector and information derived from the position recorder; and

a dust protector for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust through the opening in a preventive manner,

wherein the dust protector performs a preventive operation for protecting the apparatus from intrusion of dust when the position locator determines that the vehicle is going to pass the dusty position recorded by the position recorder.