Car audio/video system having a tilt button for controlling tilt motion of a front panel

• US 7,812,892 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Namsung Corporation
• Original Assignee: Namsung Corporation
• Inventors: Yoon, Seong-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey; David E
• Application Number:
  US11/142,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/117, 386/118, 348/837, 348/840, 345/1.1, 349/11
• US Class Current: 348/837
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/008 Adjustable or movable supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/027 for Din-sized apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a car audio/video (A/V) system in which both a rear panel informing a user of a variety of operational statuses of the car A/V system and a front panel having a TFT-LCD panel are installed in a 1-DIN-sized casing, thus improving the efficiency of usage of a limited space. The car A/V system includes a rear panel provided with a first display unit; a front panel provided with a plurality of key input elements and a second display unit; and a control means for executing an operation corresponding to a specified command signal input by manipulating the key input elements. In the car A/V system, both the front panel and the rear panel are installed in the front of a 1-DIN (Deutsches Institut füur Normung)-sized casing of the system such that the front panel is placed in front of the rear panel and both the front panel and the rear panel are tilted as directed by the control means and are opened forward from the front of the casing.

Claims

1. A car audio/video system, comprising:

a rear panel provided with a first display unit;

a front panel provided with a plurality of key input elements and a second display unit; and

control means for executing an operation corresponding to a specified command signal input by manipulating the key input elements,

wherein both the front panel and the rear panel are installed in front of a casing of the system such that the front panel is placed in front of the rear panel and both the front panel and the rear panel are tilted as directed by the control means and are opened forward from the front of the casing, and

wherein the plurality of key input elements includes a tilt button, so that, when the tilt button is manipulated, the control means controls a tilting motion of the front panel based on an input tilting angle adjustment value.

2. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a tilt mechanism to tilt the front panel and the rear panel, the tilt mechanism comprising:

at least one motor;

a plurality of gear mechanisms to transmit a rotational force of the motor while reducing a rotational speed and changing a rotational force transmission direction; and

a plurality of lever mechanisms to move and rotate the front panel and the rear panel using the rotational force transmitted through the gear mechanisms.

3. A car audio/video system, comprising:

a rear panel provided with a first display unit;

a front panel provided with a plurality of key input elements and a second display unit, the key input elements being used to select a desired mode from among a radio mode, an optical disc mode and a TV mode, and to input fine adjustment values, a mode change signal and an operation command signal in a selected mode; and

a main unit comprising;

radio broadcast signal processing means for processing a signal of a radio broadcast channel selected by an AM/FM tuner;

TV broadcast signal processing means for processing a signal of a TV broadcast channel selected by a TV tuner;

optical disc playing means for playing an optical disc having sound data recorded thereon and reproducing sound; and

control means for executing an operation corresponding to a specified command signal input by manipulating the key input elements,

wherein both the front panel and the rear panel are installed in front of a casing of the system such that the front panel is placed in front of the rear panel and both the front panel and the rear panel are moved as directed by the control means, and

wherein the plurality of key input elements includes a tilt button, so that, when the tilt button is manipulated, the control means controls a tilting motion of the front panel based on an input tilting angle adjustment value.

4. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the second display unit is placed on a central portion of the front panel and is made of a TFT (thin film transistor)-LCD (liquid crystal display) panel having a predetermined size.

5. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first display unit displays thereon numerals and symbols to confirm a variety of operational statuses, while the second display unit displays thereon a moving image and a real-time variable map image.

6. A car audio/video system, comprising:

a rear panel provided with a first display unit;

a front panel provided with a plurality of key input elements and a second display unit, the key input elements being used to select a desired mode from among a radio mode, an optical disc mode, a TV mode and an external input mode, and to input fine adjustment values, a mode change signal and an operation command signal in a selected mode;

a main unit comprising;

radio broadcast signal processing means for processing a signal of a radio broadcast channel selected by an AM/FM tuner;

TV broadcast signal processing means for processing a signal of a TV broadcast channel selected by a TV tuner;

optical disc playing means for playing an optical disc having sound data recorded thereon and reproducing sound; and

control means for executing an operation corresponding to a specified command signal input by manipulating the key input elements; and

external audio/video selecting means for controlling, in conjunction with the control means, the input/output of external input signals transmitted from an external input source,

wherein both the front panel and the rear panel are installed in front of a casing of the system such that the front panel is placed in front of the rear panel and both the front panel and the rear panel are moved as directed by the control means, and

wherein the plurality of key input elements includes a tilt button, so that, when the tilt button is manipulated, the control means controls a tilting motion of the front panel based on an input tilting angle adjustment value.

7. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the second display unit is placed on a central portion of the front panel and is made of a TFT (thin film transistor)-LCD (liquid crystal display) panel having a predetermined size.

8. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first display unit displays thereon numerals and symbols to confirm a variety of operational statuses, while the second display unit displays thereon a moving image and a real-time variable map image.

9. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the external input source is at least one of a DVD player, a video cassette player, a rear view camera, and a game console box.

10. The car audio/video system as set forth in claim 9, wherein, when a reverse gear is selected, the control means displays an input image, automatically produced by the rear view camera in response to a reverse gear select signal, on the second display unit of the front panel.