Vehicle electronic system

• US 6,147,938 A
• Filed: 08/27/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masayoshi, Matsumoto, Masaki, Ikeda, Toshifumi, Hirasa, Yoshiaki, Ohe, Ryoji, Ogawa, Norifumi, Fujiwara, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/384,522
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 369/12, 369/2, 369/6, 369/7, 369/10, 369/11, 369/75.1, 369/75.2, 455/347, 455/345, 455/348, 381/86
• US Class Current: 369/12
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/003 with radio receiver

Abstract

A projection (41) protrudes downward from the lower side edge portion of a third electronic control unit (40). The projection forms a recess which houses a first electronic control unit (20) under the third electronic control unit (40) and has a lower opening. The third electronic control unit (40) and a control panel (10) are electrically connected to each other via connectors (13, 43). A second electronic control unit (30) is placed on the upper surface of the third electronic control unit (40), and the first and third electronic control units (20, 40) and the second and third electronic control units (30, 40) are respectively detachably connected to each other via connectors.

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic system comprising:

a first electronic control unit having a predetermined first control function;

a second electronic control unit, which is formed independently of said first electronic control unit, and has a predetermined second control function different from the first control function, the second control function including a function of reading out information from a storage medium inserted from a passenger room side, and said second electronic control unit having an insertion hole for inserting the storage medium;

a control panel, which is formed independently of said first and second electronic control units, comprises, on the passenger room side, a plurality of control switches for operating individual control functions pertaining to said first and second electronic control units, and a display device for making display of the individual control functions pertaining to said first and second electronic control units, and has a communication hole for inserting the storage medium in correspondence with the insertion hole;

a third electronic control unit, which is formed independently of said first and second electronic control units and said control panel, selects one of the control functions of said first and second electronic control units when one of the control switches is operated, outputs a control signal for operating the control function of the selected electronic control unit to the selected electronic control unit, and outputs a display control signal for making the display device of said control panel display upon receiving a display signal from one of said first and second electronic control units; and

electrical connection means for electrically connecting between said first to third electronic control units, and said control panel,

said first to third electronic control units being laid out adjacent to and parallel to each other on a side opposite to the passenger room of said control panel,

wherein said third electronic control unit is laid out to be parallel to said first and second electronic control unit so as not to disturb a path between the insertion hole of said second electronic control unit and the communication hole of said control panel, and

said electrical connection means independently comprises a first line for detachably connecting said first and third electronic control units via a connector, a second line for detachably connecting said second and third electronic control units via a connector, and a third line for connecting said control panel and said third electronic control unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third electronic control unit is laid out at a position between said first and second electronic control units.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a base chassis detachably fixed to a vehicle body, and wherein each of said control panel, and said first and second electronic control units is detachably fixed to said base chassis.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein a projection which protrudes from a position near an end portion opposite to the passenger room toward a side where said first electronic control unit is placed is formed on said third electronic control unit, and forms a recess for housing said first electronic control unit in the neighborhood of said third electronic control unit.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said first to third electronic control units are vertically stacked to be parallel to each other on that side of said control panel, which is opposite to the passenger room,

the projection protrudes downward from the position near that end portion of said third electronic control unit, which is opposite to the passenger room, and

the projection forms the recess for housing said first electronic control unit under said third electronic control unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third line detachably connects said control panel and said third electronic control unit via a connector.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein a passenger room-side surface of said first electronic control unit has one of a first display unit and an insertion hole for inserting a storage medium from which said first electronic control unit reads out information, and

one of the first display unit and insertion hole is laid out in the neighborhood of a passenger room-side surface of said control panel, and faces the interior of the passenger room to be substantially flush with the control panel surface.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein a connector for connecting said third electronic control unit to the vehicle body is provided to the projection.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein a connector to be electrically connected to said second electronic control unit is provided to an upper surface of the projection of said third electronic control unit.

10. The system according to claim 5, wherein said vehicle electronic system is laid out at a position between a driver seat and passenger sheet in an instrument panel,

the control function of said first electronic control unit includes a function of reading out information from a storage medium inserted from the passenger room side, and

the storage medium inserted into said first electronic control unit is smaller than a storage medium inserted into said second electronic control unit.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the connector of said first line is a first connector which is mounted on one surface of a circuit board built in said third electronic control unit and is to be electrically connected to said first electronic control unit, and

the connector of said second line is a second connector which is mounted on the other surface of the circuit board and is to be electrically connected to said second electronic control unit.

12. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first to third electronic control units are vertically stacked to be parallel to each other on that side of said control panel, which is opposite to the passenger room,

said base chassis has an open upper end and a lower end, and

said first and second electronic control units are attached from above and below said base chassis.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control function of said first electronic control unit has a function of reading out information from a storage medium inserted from the passenger room side,

said first electronic control unit has a second insertion hole for inserting a storage medium from which said first electronic control unit reads out information,

said control panel has a second communication hole for inserting the storage medium in correspondence with the second insertion hole, and

said third electronic control unit is laid out to be parallel to said first and second electronic control units so as not to disturb a path between the second insertion hole of said first electronic control unit and the second communication hole of said control panel.

14. The system according to claim 3, wherein said base chassis has a reference attachment portion serving as a reference position upon attaching said first and second electronic control units, and an error allowing attachment portion which is formed at a position different from the reference attachment portion and allows a position error of said first and second electronic control units, and

a connector of at least one of said first and second electronic control units is placed to be closer to the reference attachment portion than the error allowing attachment portion.

15. The system according to claim 5, wherein a heat radiation hole is formed on a housing of said first electronic control unit laid out under said third electronic control unit, and

the heat radiation hole is formed at a position except for a portion corresponding to a control arithmetic unit built in said first electronic control unit.

16. The system according to claim 5, wherein a heat radiation hole is formed on a side surface of a housing of said first electronic control unit, and

a heat radiation hole is formed on a side surface of the projection of said third electronic control unit at a position corresponding to the heat radiation hole of said first electronic control unit.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electronic control units respectively comprise drive means for driving storage media to read predetermined data from the storage media, and

said third electronic control unit does not comprise any drive means for driving a storage medium to read predetermined data from the storage medium.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said third electronic unit incorporates at least a radio tuner.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said third electronic control unit comprises a circuit board, and

a central processing unit for outputting the control signal and display control signal, and the radio tuner are laid out on said circuit board.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said first to third electronic control units are vertically stacked to be parallel to each other on that side of said control panel, which is opposite to the passenger room, and

said third electronic control unit is placed below said first and second electronic control units.