Power supply control device and instrument device

• US 9,457,744 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US14/414,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/40 characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/408 using a data bus

Abstract

A power supply control device is configured to reduce a current supplying capacity required by a power supply even when power is supplied to a prescribed external device. The power supply control device comprises a first power supply for supplying power to a pointer instrument; a first control unit that operates with power from the first power supply and controls driving of the pointer instrument and supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument; and a second control unit for controlling supply of power from the first power supply to an external memory. Upon receiving a prescribed command, the first power supply stops supplying power to the pointer instrument, and the first power supply starts supplying power to the external memory in response to the stoppage.

Claims

1. A power supply control device comprising:

a first power supply configured to supply power to a pointer instrument that notifies a predetermined measurement amount by a comparison between a rotating pointer and an indicator indicated by the pointer;

a first control unit operated by the power supplied from the first power supply and configured to control driving of the pointer instrument and supply of power from the first power supply means to the pointer instrument; and

a second control unit capable of being electrically connected to a prescribed external device and configured to control supply of power from the first power supply to the external device,

wherein the external device is operated by the power supplied from the first power supply, upon receiving a prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, and

the second control unit is operated by the power supplied from a second power supply different from the first power supply, controls a display operation of a display to display a prescribed image, and controls supply of power from the first power supply to the external device.

2. The power supply control device according to claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory connected to the second control unit and configured to store data required when the second control unit controls the display operation of the display,

wherein the second control unit is capable of rewriting the data stored in the non-volatile memory,

the external device is an external memory where data to be rewritten of the data is stored, and

upon receiving a rewriting request of the data, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, reads out the data to be rewritten of the external memory and rewrites the data stored in the non-volatile memory with the data to be rewritten read out from the external memory.

3. The power supply control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first switch unit operated under the control of the first control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument; and

a second switch unit operated under the control of the second control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the external device,

wherein, upon receiving the prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first switch unit to stop supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the second switch unit to start supply of power from the first power supply to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit.

4. The power supply control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch unit operated under the control of the first control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument; and

a second switch unit operated under the control of the second control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the external device,

wherein, upon receiving the prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first switch unit to stop supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the second switch unit to start supply of power from the first power supply to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit.

5. An instrument device comprising:

a pointer instrument that notifies a predetermined measurement amount by a comparison between a rotating pointer and an indicator indicated by the pointer;

a display; and

a power supply control device comprising;

a first power supply configured to supply power to the pointer instrument;

a first control unit operated by the power supplied from the first power supply and configured to control driving of the pointer instrument and supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument; and

a second control unit capable of being electrically connected to a prescribed external device and configured to control supply of power from the first power supply to the external device, wherein

the external device is operated by the power supplied from the first power supply, upon receiving a prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, and

the second control unit is operated by the power supplied from a second power supply different from the first power supply, controls a display operation of the display to display a prescribed image, and controls supply of power from the first power supply to the external device.

6. An instrument device comprising:

a pointer instrument that notifies a predetermined measurement amount by a comparison between a rotating pointer and an indicator indicated by the pointer;

a display; and

a power supply control device comprising;

a first power supply configured to supply power to the pointer instrument;

a first control unit operated by the power supplied from the first power supply and configured to control driving of the pointer instrument and supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument;

a second control unit capable of being electrically connected to a prescribed external device and configured to control supply of power from the first power supply to the external device, wherein

the external device is operated by the power supplied from the first power supply, upon receiving a prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, and

the second control unit is operated by the power supplied from a second power supply different from the first power supply, controls a display operation of the display to display a prescribed image, and controls supply of power from the first power supply to the external device, and

the power supply control device further comprises a non-volatile memory connected to the second control unit and configured to store data required when the second control unit controls the display operation of the display, wherein

the second control unit is capable of rewriting the data stored in the non-volatile memory,

the external device is an external memory where data to be rewritten is stored, and

upon receiving a rewriting request of the data, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, reads out the data to be rewritten of the external memory and rewrites the data stored in the non-volatile memory with the data to be rewritten read out from the external memory.

7. An instrument device comprising:

a pointer instrument that notifies a predetermined measurement amount by a comparison between a rotating pointer and an indicator indicated by the pointer;

a display; and

a power supply control device comprising;

a first power supply configured to supply power to the pointer instrument;

a first control unit operated by the power supplied from the first power supply and configured to control driving of the pointer instrument and supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument;

a second control unit capable of being electrically connected to a prescribed external device and configured to control supply of power from the first power supply to the external device, wherein

the external device is operated by the power supplied from the first power supply, upon receiving a prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first power supply to stop supplying power to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the first power supply to start supplying power to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit, and

the second control unit is operated by the power supplied from a second power supply different from the first power supply, controls a display operation of the display to display a prescribed image, and controls supply of power from the first power supply to the external device,

the power supply control device further comprises;

a first switch unit operated under the control of the first control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument; and

a second switch unit operated under the control of the second control unit and configured to switch whether or not to supply power from the first power supply to the external device, wherein,

upon receiving the prescribed input command, the first control unit causes the first switch unit to stop supply of power from the first power supply to the pointer instrument and, in response to the stoppage, the second control unit causes the second switch unit to start supply of power from the first power supply to the external device that is electrically connected to the second control unit.