Automotive accessory control center

• US 5,191,312 A
• Filed: 03/28/1991
• Issued: 03/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH (Aurelius AG)
• Original Assignee: Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH (Aurelius AG)
• Inventors: Altmann, Albrecht, Eilers, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/676,895
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/525, 340/466, 340/988, 340/989, 340/991, 340/971, 340/973, 340/980, 340/905, 340/901, 340/902, 455/238, 455/238.1, 180/171, 180/170, 180/271, 180/282
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches

Abstract

A combination of automobile radio and city call or paging receiver equipped with a display (4) has the additional feature of a vehicle speed sensor (24) which is used to block display of possibly distracting information whenever the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed limit set in a threshold switch (25). The display (4) is controlled by a microprocessor (7). A NAND gate (23), connected to the output of the speed threshold switch (25), is interposed between the city call data decoder (3) and the microprocessor (7). Another threshold stage (28) and NAND gate (27) can be interposed between the radio control panel (18) and the radio tuner (13) to keep the driver from making radio adjustments when he or she should be paying attention to the road instead.

Claims

1. Automotive accessory control center for the operation of an accesory device which demands the visual attention of a driver, comprising

a display (4);

display control means (7) having an input for remotely generated data and an output controlling said display (4) to produce optical indications thereon;

means (1, 2,

     3) for receiving remotely generated data;

means (24) for measuring vehicle speed;

a threshold switch (25) having an input connected to an output of said speed measuring means (24); and

a NAND gate (23) having an output connected to said input of said display control means (7) and respective inputs connected to an output of said threshold switch (24) and to an output of said means for receiving remotely generated data.

2. Automotive accessory control center for the operation of an accessory device which demands the visual attention of a driver, comprising

a control panel (18) for manual actuation of the accessory device;

means (24) for measuring vehicle speed;

a threshold value stage (28) having an input connected to an output of said speed measuring means (24); and

a NAND gate (27) having a first input connected to an output of said threshold stage (28), a second input connected to an output of said control panel (18) and an output connected to said accessory device (13-15, 6,

     4), said NAND gate blocking transfer of signals from said control panel to said accessory device whenever said vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined threshold in said threshold value stage, thereby preventing distraction of said driver while said vehicle speed is above said threshold.

3. Control center according to claim 2, further comprising

an illumination circuit in said control panel (18) and an illumination interruption switch (29) controlled by an output signal of said threshold value stage (28).