In-vehicle apparatus

• US 7,689,255 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Toshiaki, Nishioka, Yuichiro, Tanaka, Hisahiro, Kurauchi, Seiji, Arai, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nair; Sowmini
• Application Number:
  US11/706,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20070207840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/008 Adjustable or movable supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0294 Apparatus with multi-functionalities, e.g. radio and telephone
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/027 Covers G11B33/022 takes precedence; with means for guiding the record carrier G11B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

An in-vehicle apparatus including: an apparatus body; a front surface of the apparatus body; and a lid configured to open and close the front surface. A microphone directed to the front side of the front surface in the condition where the lid is opened is provided at the front surface of the apparatus body. A gap for communication between the location, where the microphone is provided, of the front surface and the outside is secured between the front surface and the lid in the condition where the front surface of the apparatus body is closed with the lid.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a front surface of said apparatus body; and

a lid configured to open and close said front surface;

wherein a microphone directed to the front side of said front surface in the condition where said lid is opened is provided at said front surface of said apparatus body, and

a gap for communication between the location, where said microphone is provided, of said front surface and the outside is secured between said front surface and said lid in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

2. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said lid has a back surface fronting on said front surface of said apparatus body in the condition where said front surface is closed;

and

said gap extends between said front surface of said apparatus body and said lid from a location, near said location where said microphone is provided, of the outer periphery of said lid to a location of said back surface of said lid which fronts on said location where said microphone is provided, in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

3. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said front surface of said apparatus body includes a horizontally elongate front surface part and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said front surface part;

said lid has a back surface part fronting on said front surface part, and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said back surface part and fronting on said side surface part of said front surface, in the state of closing said front surface of said apparatus body; and

said gap extends between said front surface part of said apparatus body and said back surface part of said lid from a position between a location, near said location where said microphone is provided, of said side surface part of said apparatus body and a location, fronting on said location of said side surface part of said apparatus body, of said side surface part of said lid, to said location where said microphone is provided, in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

4. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said front surface of said apparatus body includes a horizontally elongate front surface part and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said front surface part;

said lid has a back surface part fronting on said front surface part, and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said back surface part and fronting on said side surface part of said front surface, in the condition where said front surface is closed; and

said gap extends with a substantially uniform value between a location, near said location where said microphone is provided, of said side surface part of said apparatus body and a location, fronting on said location of said side surface, of said side surface part of said lid, and extends with a substantially uniform valve between said front surface part of said apparatus body and said back surface part of said lid, to reach said location where said microphone is provided.

5. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said front surface of said apparatus body includes a horizontally elongate front surface part and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said front surface part;

said lid has a back surface part fronting on said front surface part, and a side surface part rising from the periphery of said back surface part and fronting on said side surface part of said front surface, in the condition where said front surface is closed;

a first gap with a substantially uniform value is formed between said side surface part of said apparatus body and said side surface part of said lid, and a second gap with a substantially uniform value is formed between said front surface part of said apparatus body and said back surface part of said lid, in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid; and

said gap for communication between said location where said microphone is provided and said outside is composed to include said first gap and said second gap, in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

6. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said front surface of said apparatus body is substantially rectangular in shape;

and

said microphone is provided at a location near a corner part of said rectangular shape of said front surface.

7. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said apparatus body has a casing, said front part of said apparatus body is an outside surface of a front panel constituting a front surface of said casing, said front panel has an inside surface fronting on the inside of said casing, said microphone is disposed in the inside of said casing so as to front on said inside surface of said front panel, and a plurality of holes penetrating from the inside surface to the outside surface of said front panel are provided in said front panel at a location fronting on said microphone.

8. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein said microphone is held by a cover formed by use of a vibration-damping material, and is mounted in position through said cover.

9. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein an operating member for operating said apparatus body is disposed at said front surface of said lid where said lid fronts on the outside in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

10. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said lid is provided to be swingable relative to said front surface of said apparatus body;

said lid has a back surface fronting on said front surface of said apparatus body and a front surface fronting on the outside, in the state of closing said front surface of said apparatus body;

an operating member for operating said apparatus body is disposed at said front surface of said lid;

a connector for connection to said operating member is provided at said back surface of said lid; and

a connector which is engaged with said connector at said back surface of said lid in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid and which is disengaged from said connector at said back surface of said lid in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is opened is provided at said front surface of said apparatus body.

11. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said lid is provided to be swingable relative to said front surface of said apparatus body;

said lid has a back surface fronting on said front surface of said apparatus body and a front surface fronting on the outside, in the state of closing said front surface of said apparatus body;

an operating member for operating said apparatus body is disposed at said front surface of said lid; and

a flexible substrate for transfer of signals between said operating member and said apparatus body is provided between said lid and said apparatus body.

12. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said lid is provided to be detachable from said front surface of said apparatus body;

said lid has a back surface fronting on said front surface of said apparatus body and a front surface fronting on the outside, in the state of closing said front surface of said apparatus body;

an operating member for operating said apparatus body is disposed at said front surface of said lid;

a connector for connection to said operating member is provided at said back surface of said lid; and

a connector which is engaged with said connector at said back surface of said lid in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed and which is disengaged from said connector at said back surface of said lid in the condition where said lid is detached from said front surface of said apparatus body is provided at said front surface of said apparatus body.

13. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said apparatus body has a lid frame for detachably supporting said lid and for moving said lid in the directions for opening and closing said front surface of said apparatus body;

said lid has a back surface fronting on said front surface of said apparatus body and a front surface fronting on the outside, in the state of closing said front surface of said apparatus body;

an operating member for operating said apparatus body is disposed at said front surface of said lid;

a flexible substrate for transfer of signals between said operating member at said lid supported by said frame and said apparatus body is provided between said frame and said apparatus body; and

a connector for transfer of signals between said operating member and said apparatus body through said flexible substrate is detachably attached to said lid and said frame.

14. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said apparatus body is provided with a reproduction unit for reproduction of data recorded on a recording medium, and said front surface of said apparatus body is provided with a loading/unloading gate for loading and unloading said recording medium.

15. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said apparatus body is provided with a reproduction unit for reproducing audio data recorded on a disk-formed recording medium and outputting an audio signal, and an audio output unit for applying a predetermined signal processing to said audio signal outputted from said reproduction unit and supplying a processed signal to a speaker;

said front surface of said apparatus body is provided with a loading/unloading gate for loading and unloading said disk-formed recording medium; and

said reproduction unit and said audio output unit constitute a part of a car audio system.

16. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said apparatus body is provided with a reproduction unit for reproducing audio data recorded on a disk-formed recording medium and outputting an audio signal, and an audio output unit for applying a predetermined signal processing to said audio signal outputted from said reproduction unit and supplying a processed signal to a speaker;

said front surface of said apparatus body is provided with a loading/unloading gate for loading and unloading said disk-formed recording medium;

said reproduction unit and said audio output unit constitute a part of a car audio system; and

an operating member for operating said car audio system is provided at a front surface of said lid where said lid fronts on the outside in the condition where said front surface of said apparatus body is closed with said lid.

17. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said apparatus body is provided with a hands-free system so configured that hands-free conversation can be performed by use of a cellular phone, and said microphone has at least the function of picking up sound in said hands-free system.

18. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said apparatus body is provided with a sound measuring unit for measuring or analyzing acoustic characteristics in the environment in which said apparatus body is disposed, based on a sound picked up, said measured or analyzed acoustic characteristics are used for calibrating the sound field in said environment, and said microphone has at least the function of picking up said sound.

19. The in-vehicle apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said apparatus body is disposed in a vehicle compartment, and said front surface of said apparatus body fronts on said vehicle compartment in the condition where said lid is opened.