JP4984028B2 - In-vehicle electronic device operation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle electronic device operating device.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-273506 JP 2000-67696 A JP 2001-184969 A JP 2005-209422 A

  In a vehicle such as an automobile, an electronic device to be mounted, for example, an air conditioner, a car audio system, and an operation unit for operating a car navigation system are provided, for example, in a vehicle instrument panel portion. The operation unit is provided with an operation unit for a vehicle occupant to operate as necessary. Among these, dial type operation devices are often used for air volume adjustment operation units, temperature adjustment operation units or outlet selection operation units of air conditioners, volume operation units of car audio systems, and the like (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  In recent years, in order to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, the vehicle instrument panel has been flattened. For example, in Europe, the allowable projection height of the operation switches provided in the instrument panel is 9.5 mm or less. There are strict regulations. On the other hand, the flattening of the vehicle instrument panel directly contributes to improving the design of the vehicle interior. It is effective to use a push switch with a small operation stroke to reduce the protruding height of the operation switches, but the layout with only the push switch has little design change and responds to the changing design orientation of users one after another. It ’s difficult. In addition, the volume of the audio device, the air conditioner set temperature, and the like are often requested by a dial operation unit because it is difficult to intuitively grasp the operation position and operation amount with a push switch. However, since the dial operation unit is rotated while holding the outer peripheral surface with a fingertip, there is a problem that the operability is impaired unless a certain protruding height is secured. Patent Document 4 discloses an example in which an operation knob for an in-vehicle AV electronic device is configured as a pop-up operation knob that can be switched between protruding and retracting by a pressing operation by hand.

  However, in the configuration of the pop-up operation knob disclosed in Patent Document 4, the protrusion / retraction of the knob is manual, and problems such as forgetting the push-in operation for returning to the retracted position after the operation are likely to occur. Further, the driver or the like has to perform a pressing operation for projecting the operation knob without looking away from the front in the traveling direction, and it is troublesome to find the position of the knob by groping.

  The object of the present invention is to quickly move the dial operation portion to the protruding position when an operation is necessary, and to reliably return to the retracted position when the operation is not performed, thereby preventing a malfunction. The object is to provide a vehicle-mounted electronic device operating device.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to achieve the above-mentioned problem, it relates to an in-vehicle electronic device operating device used by being installed in a vehicle to operate an in-vehicle electronic device.
An in-vehicle electronic device operating device that is used in a vehicle to operate an in-vehicle electronic device,
A housing forming the front of the device;
A dial operation unit that is disposed inside a mounting hole formed in the housing so as to open to the front surface of the device, and is rotatable around an operation axis that intersects the front surface of the device;
A projecting position projecting from the front surface of the apparatus by a predetermined height at which the operator can manually operate the dial operating unit by gripping the outer peripheral surface of the dial operating unit in the mounting hole; An advancing / retracting drive mechanism for driving the dial operation portion to advance / retreat within the mounting hole between a retracted position where the protruding height is reduced from the protruding position;
An approaching object detection unit that detects the approaching object in a non-contact manner when the approaching object approaches the dial operation unit up to a certain distance;
An auxiliary approaching object identifying unit for identifying whether the approaching object is the hand of the operator;
When the approaching object detection unit is in a detection state and the auxiliary approaching object identification unit identifies that it is an operator's hand, the dial operation unit is driven forward to the protruding position by the advance / retreat driving mechanism, and the approaching object detection is performed. While the auxiliary approaching object identification unit recognizes the operator's hand while the part is in the detection state, the dial operation unit is held at the protruding position, and the approaching object detection unit is in the non-detection state and the predetermined time is reached. After the elapse of time, the dial operation unit is driven backward by the advance / retreat drive mechanism to the retracted position at a moving speed smaller than the forward drive, and the dial operation unit is moved when the approaching object detection unit is in a detection state during the backward drive. and advancing drive control means Ru was reverse driven into the protruding position,
It is provided with.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the user's hand approaching the dial operation unit for operation is detected as an approaching object, and the dial operation unit moves forward and backward in the mounting hole formed in the housing based on the detection result. Since it is driven, the dial operating portion can be quickly moved to the protruding position when an operation is required, and can be reliably returned to the retracted position when the operation is not performed. In addition, since the auxiliary approaching object identification unit is provided, it is possible to identify whether the approaching object is the operator's hand, and when the other hand approaches the approaching object detection unit, the dial operation unit is erroneously driven. Can be prevented.

  Specifically, the auxiliary approaching object identifying unit can be configured by a camera that photographs the operator's hand. In this case, it is possible to identify whether the hand is from the image photographed by the camera.

  Furthermore, the camera is used as a security surveillance camera mounted on the vehicle, and determines whether the operator is approaching the approaching object detection unit based on an image taken by the surveillance camera. It can also comprise so that it may contain. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent an increase in cost due to the addition of cameras.

  The auxiliary approaching object identification unit can be configured to include a shape determination unit that determines whether the hand is an operator's hand from the shape of the image captured by the camera. With this configuration, for example, by rotating, reducing, or enlarging a photographed image, it is possible to determine whether it is a hand by determining a match with a model image serving as a reference for the hand.

  Furthermore, the auxiliary approaching object identification unit can be configured to include a temperature detection sensor that detects the temperature of the operator's hand. By having the temperature detection sensor, if an object near body temperature is detected, it can be determined more surely that it is a hand.

  The auxiliary approaching object identification unit may include a seating sensor provided in a vehicle seat. If comprised in this way, since it is also set as a determination condition also that the operator is seated, it can be determined more reliably whether it is an operator's hand.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a front appearance of an air conditioner operation unit U to which the present invention is applied. This in-vehicle operation unit U is for independently performing each air outlet control of a right seat air conditioner outlet (not shown) and a left seat air conditioner outlet (not shown) provided in the instrument panel portion of the vehicle. Is for. In the air conditioner operation unit U, a right air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (R) and a left air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (L) are arranged separately on the left and right. Each unit is configured as an on-vehicle electronic device operating device 1 of the present invention having a dial operating unit 2, and each dial operating unit 2 adjusts a set temperature of a corresponding air-conditioner outlet on the seat side. The temperature setting dial. Between the right air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (R) and the left air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (L), an operation panel unit 4 for performing an air conditioner adjustment operation other than the set temperature adjustment is disposed.

  The operation panel unit 4 is configured by a touch panel, and is formed with a soft button 4B forming a blowing air amount switching setting unit and a soft button 4E forming a blowing port switching setting unit. In addition, the left and right temperature setting units 1 (L) and 1 (R) linked mode selection button 4A, auto mode selection button 4C, A / C on / off button 4D, differential mode selection button 4F, and inside / outside air switching. The button 4G is also formed as a similar soft button. Further, behind the operation panel unit 4, button-indicating light-emitting units 8 made of LEDs are individually arranged at positions corresponding to the respective soft buttons. Similarly, a light emitting unit 9 and a light emitting unit 9 for display in a balloon mode are also arranged.

  The vehicle-mounted electronic device operating devices constituting the right-side air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (R) and the left-side air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (L) have exactly the same structure. This is referred to as “electronic device operating device 1”. The in-vehicle electronic device operating device 1 is disposed inside a housing 201 that forms the device front surface FF and a mounting hole 201h formed in the housing 201 so as to open to the device front surface FF, and intersects the device front surface FF. A dial operation unit 2 that can be rotated around an operation axis OA. As shown in FIG. 2, the dial operation unit 2 is placed in the mounting hole 201 h by a predetermined height that allows the operator to hold the outer peripheral surface of the dial operation unit 2 by hand and operate it. An advancing / retreating drive mechanism 42 (FIG. 4A) that drives the dial operation unit 2 to advance / retreat in the mounting hole 201h between a protruding position VP protruding from the protruding position VP and a retracted position QP with a protruding height reduced from the protruding position VP. ) Is provided.

  The dial operation unit 2 includes an approaching object detection unit 15 that detects an approaching object to the dial operation unit 2, and based on a detection state of the approaching object detection unit 15 and an image of a camera 150 described later, the dial operation unit 2 by the advance / retreat driving mechanism 42. (Advancing / retreating drive control means: microcomputer 102 (FIG. 7)). The right air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (R) is disposed adjacent to the right side of the dial operation unit 2 and the approaching object detection unit 15 is disposed, and the left air conditioner temperature setting unit 1 (L) is adjacent to the left side of the dial operation unit 2. The approaching object detection unit 15 is arranged.

  The approaching object detection unit 15 detects a user's hand approaching the dial operation unit 2 for operation as an approaching object. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the dial operation unit 2 is driven back and forth in the mounting hole 201h formed in the housing 201 based on the detection result and the image of the camera 150. Can quickly move the dial operating portion 2 to the protruding position VP, and can be surely returned to the retracted position QP when the operation is not performed.

  In the present embodiment, the dial operation unit 2 slightly protrudes even at the retracted position QP, but this protrusion amount is 3 mm or less (preferably 1 mm or less) from the viewpoint of flattening the instrument panel region when not operating. It is good to do. Further, at the retracted position QP, the front end face of the dial operation unit 2 can be set to a position that is flush with the apparatus front face FF or deeper than that.

  The approaching object detection unit 15 is configured to detect the approaching object in a non-contact manner when the approaching object approaches the dial operation unit 2 to a certain distance. The dial operation unit 2 that has been retracted to the retreat position QP protrudes just by bringing the hand close to the user, and the production effect is also excellent. In the present embodiment, the approaching object detection unit 15 is disposed adjacent to the dial operation unit 2 on the apparatus front surface FF, and the approach of the user's hand can be reliably detected without contact.

  Specifically, the approaching object detection unit 15 is configured by a reflective optical sensor as shown in FIG. As the reflection type optical sensor, an infrared reflection sensor using infrared as a detection probe is used, and an effect of preventing malfunction due to visible disturbance light or the like is enhanced. In the configuration of FIG. 3, an LED 15L for infrared light emission and a light receiving element (here, a photodiode) 15P for detecting reflected light from the palm H are provided on the substrate 15S together with the LED drive circuit 15D and the light receiving circuit 15M. Has been implemented. The LED 15L and the light receiving element 15P adjacently arranged on the substrate 15S are covered with a casing 15a, and the probe light from the LED 15L and the reflected light to the light receiving element 15P are transmitted through a window 15w formed in the casing 15a. Go in and out through the cover 15b. Note that the approaching object detection unit can also be configured by a capacitive sensor.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner operation unit U is connected to a camera 150 that constitutes an auxiliary approaching object identifying unit that identifies whether the approaching object is an operator's hand. As shown in FIG. 19, the camera 150 is provided as a camera for photographing an approaching object to the dial operation unit 2 on the ceiling of the vehicle, and it is determined whether the approaching object is a hand based on an image captured by the camera 150. It is comprised as what performs. Alternatively, a security monitoring camera mounted on a vehicle and monitoring the inside of the vehicle may be used as the auxiliary approaching object identification unit. In this case, an image captured by the camera 150 is transmitted from the security ECU 151 to the microcomputer 102 (see FIG. 6). Then, a part of the image is extracted by the microcomputer 102, and it is determined from the degree of coincidence with the model image of the hand stored in the microcomputer 102 whether the image captured by the camera 150 is a hand.

  With this configuration, when it is determined that the approaching object detected by the approaching object detection unit 15 is not the user's hand, the dial operation unit 2 can be prevented from being driven forward and backward. That is, when it is determined that the approaching object detected by the approaching object detection unit 15 is the user's hand, the dial operation unit 2 is driven so that, for example, a baggage other than the hand is detected by the approaching object detection unit 15. When detected, it is possible to prevent the dial operation unit 2 from malfunctioning. The microcomputer 102 constitutes an image identification unit and a shape determination unit.

  The advancing / retreating drive control means realized by the microcomputer 102 determines that the approaching object detection unit 15 is in an approaching object detection state and that the approaching object is an operator's hand based on an image captured by the camera 150. In this case, the dial operation unit 2 is in the protruding position VP, and the advance / retreat driving mechanism 42 is controlled to be in the retracted position QP in the non-detecting state. The dial operation unit 2 temporarily protrudes when the user brings his / her hand close for operation, and the dial operation unit 2 automatically moves to the retreat position QP when the user moves away and enters the non-detection state. Therefore, there is no fear of forgetting to return to the retracted position QP like a conventional manual pop-up operation knob. Moreover, since the dial operation part 2 protrudes only at the time of operation, the flatness of the front surface of the casing 201 and the instrument panel part can be ensured without any problem in normal times.

  Specifically, while the approaching object detection unit 15 continues to detect the approaching object and the approaching object is determined to be a hand based on the image captured by the camera 150, the dial operation unit 2 moves to the protruding position VP. Retained. That is, the dial operation unit 2 is always held at the protruding position VP while the user is approaching the hand for the operation, and the dial operation unit 2 is not used even when performing a delicate operation that takes some time. There is no need to worry about getting ready, so you can continue to operate calmly.

  Further, when the approaching object detection unit 15 shifts from the approaching object detection state to the non-detection state, the dial operation unit 2 at the protruding position VP moves backward to the retreat position QP after a predetermined time has elapsed. ing. For example, if you tried to retract your hand once after operating the dial operation unit 2, but you revisited it and brought your hand again for re-operation, the dial operation unit 2 does not move back immediately and smooth operation Is possible.

  Further, when the ignition switch IGSW (FIG. 8) of the vehicle is on and the dial operation unit 2 is in the protruding position VP, the dial operation unit 2 is moved to the retracted position QP as the ignition switch shifts to the off state. Can be set back. In this configuration, when the ignition switch is turned off in order to stop the engine of the vehicle, the protruding dial operation unit 2 is automatically stored in the retracted position, so there is a problem such as forgetting to return the dial operation unit 2 Does not occur. As shown in FIG. 7, the microcomputer (ECU) 102 is connected to a serial communication bus SB for in-vehicle communication via a communication interface I / F, and can acquire communication of control signals from other ECUs. Yes. For example, an ignition signal IG can also be received from the engine ECU, and the on / off state of the ignition switch can be known from the contents of the ignition signal IG.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the dial operation unit 2 is controlled to advance and retract so that the moving speed when moving backward toward the retracted position QP is smaller than the moving speed when moving forward toward the protruding position VP. As a result, when the hand is approached, the dial operation unit 2 protrudes quickly and can respond quickly to the user's operation, and when the hand is moved away, the dial operation unit 2 moves backward more slowly, When the user thinks again and brings his hand close again, the user can immediately return to the protruding position VP.

  Next, on the front end surface of the dial operation unit 2, a display unit 3 that displays an operation control parameter value corresponding to the operation angle position of the dial operation unit 2 based on the detection content of the operation displacement detection unit 100 is provided. Yes. Thereby, the operation state of the dial operation part 2 and the control setting state corresponding to this can be grasped | ascertained more easily. In this embodiment, the dial operation unit 2 is a temperature adjustment dial for a vehicle air conditioner, and the set temperature of the vehicle air conditioner is displayed on the display unit 3. When the dial operation unit 2 is rotated, the air-conditioner set temperature is changed, and it is possible to immediately know from the display temperature how many degrees the set temperature is at the position where the operation is stopped.

  When the approaching object detection unit 15 detects an approaching object, the display output light amount of the display unit 3 in FIG. 1 is set to the first light amount, and the approaching object detection unit 15 shifts from the approaching object detection state to the non-detection state. The display output light quantity can be switched to the second light quantity reduced from the first light quantity on the condition that the display output light quantity is adjusted (display output light quantity adjusting means). This function is also realized by the microcomputer 102 in FIG. If comprised in this way, since the dial operation part 2 will not only protrude but the brightness of the display part 3 will increase by approaching a hand for operation, the novel production effect can be anticipated. In addition, the current value of the control parameter to be operated can be grasped more reliably. For example, the first light amount in the approaching object detection state can be set to 100%, and the second light amount can be set to a state where the light amount is reduced to 30% to 70% (for example, 50%).

  In the present embodiment, the display unit is the liquid crystal display panel 3, and the display output light amount is the light amount of the backlight. However, the display unit can be configured by a self-luminous display panel such as a light emitting diode display or an organic or inorganic electroluminescence display. In this case, the display output light amount is directly controlled by the light emission amount of each pixel.

  When the display output light amount of the display unit 3 is set to the first light amount, the display output light amount is held at the first light amount while the approaching object detection unit 15 detects the approaching object. Is done. Thereby, the change state of the control parameter during the operation of the dial operation unit 2 can be more easily recognized, and the operation can be performed more reliably. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, when the display output light amount of the display unit 3 is set to the first light amount (100%), the approaching object detection unit 15 changes from the approaching object detection state to the non-detection state. When a predetermined time (x seconds) has elapsed since the transition, the display output light amount is switched to the second light amount (50%) which is reduced from the first light amount (100%). As a result, the amount of display output light is reduced during non-operation, so that eye irritation to the user is small and a calm indoor atmosphere can be maintained. In this case, the display output light amount adjusting unit 102 can gradually decrease (that is, fade out) the display output light amount from the first light amount (100%) to the second light amount (50%). Thereby, there is no flickering feeling accompanying rapid light quantity switching of the display unit 3, and the eye irritation to the user can be eased. In this embodiment, the light is linearly reduced from the first light quantity (100%) to the second light quantity (50%) over y seconds.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the dial operation unit 2 includes a support base 29 that supports the dial operation part 2 so as to be relatively rotatable about the operation axis OA, and is attached to the support base 29 and dialed. The operation displacement detection unit 100 that detects a rotation operation displacement applied to the operation unit 2 is configured as an integral operation unit 2U. The advance / retreat drive mechanism 42 integrally drives the dial operation unit 2 to advance / retreat in the form of the operation unit 2U. Thereby, the advancing / retreating stroke of the dial operation unit 2 does not affect the operation displacement detection, and the hardware configuration of the detection system can be greatly simplified.

  The advancing / retreating drive mechanism 42 includes a rotary member 20 that is rotatably arranged around the operation axis OA of the dial operation unit 2, a rotary drive unit 40 that rotationally drives the rotary member 20, and a rotary displacement of the rotary member 20 as an operation unit. A displacement conversion transmission mechanism HC that converts the displacement into a forward / backward displacement and transmits it to 2U. The rotation drive unit 40 is a motor, and can transmit this as a forward / backward displacement of the operation unit 2U without any problem by the intervention of the displacement conversion transmission mechanism HC.

  The dial operation unit 2 includes a cylindrical operation main body 10, while the support base 29 has a hollow support main body 33 that is inserted concentrically inside the main body of the dial operation unit 2. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively arrange peripheral circuit portions and the like using the internal space of the operation main body 10. The operation displacement detector 100 is provided at a position facing the rear end surface of the operation main body 10 outside the rear end of the support main body 33. The operation displacement detection unit 100 and the operation main body unit 10 overlap each other in a planar projection, contributing to space saving. The operation main body 10 includes a first portion 10a constituting the front end side and a second portion 10b having a larger diameter than the first portion 10a constituting the rear end side. A cover 12 engraved with an anti-slipping serration when operated by holding it by hand is extrapolated on the outer peripheral surface of the first part 10a, and the flange 13 on the rear end side thereof is a first part 10a and a second part 10b. It is stopped by the step formed between the two.

  Next, the circuit board 90 is integrated with the rear end surface of the support main body 33. The outer peripheral edge of the circuit board 90 extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the support body 33, and the operation displacement detector 100 is provided in the extended portion 90e. Since the circuit board 90 is overlaid on the rear end surface of the support main body 33, it contributes to space saving. Further, by extending the outer peripheral edge of the circuit board 90 outward and providing the operation displacement detection unit 100 there, the inner peripheral surface of the operation main body unit 10 is relatively rotated with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the support main body unit 33. It is possible to move as close as possible in a form that allows movement, which also contributes to space saving.

  In the circumferential direction of the rear end surface of the operation main body 10, rows of urging convex portions 10c are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The operation displacement detector 100 is a bi-directional detector that repeats urging / releasing in the corresponding direction intermittently by passing through each urging convex portion 10c accompanying the rotation operation of the dial operation unit 2 in forward and reverse directions. The switch 100 is configured. According to this configuration, the operation displacement can be easily grasped by the pulse-like detection waveform of the bidirectional detection switch 100 by the biasing convex portion 10c, and the space occupied by the bidirectional detection switch 100 is smaller than the slide resistance or the like. Contributes to space saving.

  A non-rotating advance / retreat drive base portion 30 connected to the support main body portion 33 is provided outside the operation main body portion 10 in the radial direction with respect to the operation axis OA. The rotating member 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is disposed on the outer side in the radial direction of the advance / retreat drive base 30. The displacement conversion transmission mechanism HC is provided with a spiral cam groove 21 that opens on the inner peripheral surface of the wall of the cylindrical rotating member 20 and a shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction from the advance / retreat drive base 30. The cam follower 31 is engaged with the cam 21. As a result, the cylindrical rotary member 20 for advancing / retreating driving can be disposed close to the outside of the operation main body 10 in the radial direction, and the bidirectional advancing / retreating driving mechanism 42 can be realized by a simple cam mechanism. Both downsizing and downsizing can be realized at once. A plurality of sets (three sets in this embodiment) of the cam groove 21 and the cam follower 31 that engages with the cam groove 21 are provided in the circumferential direction of the dial operation portion 2. In order to introduce the cam follower 31 to be introduced, an introduction groove 21 a reaching the front end surface of the rotating member 20 is formed.

  The advancing / retreating drive base portion 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the operation main body portion 10 and has an annular connection bottom portion 32 that connects the rear end portion of the operation main base portion 30 and the rear end portion of the support main body portion 33. Switch urging portions 82 and 83 of the bidirectional detection switch 100 on the circuit board 90 are arranged in a through hole 32 h formed in the connection bottom portion 32, and a row of urging convex portions 10 c formed on the rear end surface of the operation main body portion 10. It will be exposed in the way you want.

  On the rear end face of the operation main body 10, a position holding recess 10 d row different from the biasing protrusion 10 c row is formed in the rotational circumferential direction of the operation main body 10. Further, a position around the operation axis OA is fixed at a position on the connecting bottom portion 32 facing the row of the position holding recesses 10d, and on the position holding recess 10d with the rotation of the operation main body portion 10 at its tip. An auxiliary sliding member 36 that slides relative to each other is provided. And the position holding convex part 36d formed in the front-end | tip of the auxiliary | assistant sliding member 36 fits with the any recessed part of the position holding recessed part 10d row | line | column, and the corresponding operation angle position of the operation main-body part 10 is hold | maintained. . Further, by applying a rotation operation in this state, the position holding projection 36d is detached from the operation angle position in a manner that elastically climbs over the corresponding edge in the rotation direction of the position holding recess 10d. The base end side of the auxiliary sliding member 36 is accommodated together with a biasing coil spring (not shown) in an accommodating recess 35 formed in the connection bottom 32. Further, a retaining claw portion 37 that fits into the engaging groove 11 formed at a corresponding position on the outer peripheral surface of the operation main body portion 10 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the front end portion of the cylindrical advance / retreat drive base portion 30. Yes.

  Next, the rotational driving force of the rotational driving unit 40 is transmitted to the rotating member 20 via the gear unit 22 integrally formed in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotating member 20. Thereby, the rotational drive force of the rotational drive part 40 can be reliably transmitted to the rotation member 20 by gear transmission. Further, by providing the gear portion 22 in the circumferential direction of the rotating member 20 having a relatively large radius, the rotational speed of the rotational driving portion 40 that rotates at high speed can be transmitted to the rotating member 20 while decelerating. Can be obtained. The gear portion 22 is formed at the rear end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating member 20, and the rotation driving portion 40 is disposed adjacent to the outside of the rotating member 20. The rotation drive unit 40 is arranged so that the output shaft is parallel to the rotation operation axis OA. In the present embodiment, the rotation drive unit 40 is configured by a geared motor, and the small gear 41 attached to the output shaft is engaged with the large gear (gear unit) 22 on the rotating member 20 side.

  As shown in FIG. 18 (left: protruding position, right: retracted position), the gear portion 22 is formed at the rear end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the rotating member 20, and the rotation driving portion (geared motor) 40 is supported by the support main body portion 33. It is also possible to arrange it inside. The rotation drive unit 40 is arranged so that the output shaft is parallel to the rotation operation axis OA. The circuit board 90 is formed with a through-hole 90h that allows relative movement of the rotary drive unit 40 with respect to the dial operation unit 2U as the dial operation unit 2U advances and retreats. The rotation drive unit 40 (motor) is accommodated in the support main body 33, so that further space saving can be achieved.

  Referring back to FIG. 4B, a limit position detection unit 79 that detects an advancing / retreating drive limit position corresponding to the protruding position VP and the retracted position QP of the dial operation unit 2 </ b> U is provided inside the support main body 33. By utilizing the internal space of the support main body 33, the limit position detection unit 79 that regulates both limit positions of the forward / backward drive can be arranged, which contributes to space saving. Specifically, a pair of switch urging portions 82 and 83 corresponding to the protruding position VP and the retracted position QP are moved in the operation axis OA direction inside the support main body 33 that is driven back and forth in the operation axis OA direction. The position of is fixed. On the inner wall surface of the support main body 33, a bidirectional switch 101 that can be urged bidirectionally by the switch urging portions 82 and 83 is attached so as to be able to advance and retreat integrally with the support main body 33. Yes. The switch urging portions 82 and 83 are formed on a base body 81 that extends through the circuit board 90 in the operation axis OA direction and extends into the support main body portion 33. The rotation drive unit 40 is controlled to be stopped by a servo mechanism as the limit position is detected.

  Note that if the rotational drive unit 40 is configured by a stepping motor and the limit position is controlled by the number of input pulses, the limit position detection unit 79 may be omitted.

  Next, the display panel 3 (and the LCD substrate 110 for driving the display panel 3) as a display unit is provided on the front end surface of the support main body 33 in a non-rotating manner, and the display panel 3 is provided on the front end surface of the operation main body unit 10. A transparent protector (lens) 14 is provided for seeing through the display contents. Thereby, the display panel 3 attached to the operation unit 2U can be effectively protected from impact force or the like. The drive substrate 70 of the display panel 3 is attached to the front end surface side of the support main body 33 formed in a hollow cylinder shape. As described above, the display panel 3 is a liquid crystal panel, and the backlight source 71 of the liquid crystal panel is provided on the main surface of the drive substrate 70 facing the liquid crystal panel. Thereby, the liquid crystal panel attached to the front end surface of the dial operation unit 2 that is rotated can be effectively made to emit light by the backlight.

  An opening 34 h is formed in the front end surface of the support main body 33, and a mounting component on the back surface side of the substrate 70 is disposed in the opening 34 h. The substrate 70 is held in a shape sandwiched between the distal end portion 34 of the support main body portion 33 and the pressing block 10t on the opposite side, and is screwed to the pressing block 10t from the back side by bolts 72. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the operation unit 2U is concentrically fitted with the rotating member 20 inside a cylindrical mounting support frame 50 in which a rotation drive unit (motor) 40 is integrated on the outer peripheral surface. The presser ring 60 is assembled to the flange 51 formed at the rear end of the support frame 50. And it attaches to the vehicle side by the bracket 52 attached to the attachment support frame 50.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of the air conditioner operation unit U. As shown in FIG. A pulse signal indicating the rotational operation displacement from the operation displacement detector 100 and an input detection signal of the approaching object detector (hand holding sensor) 15 are input to the microcomputer 102. The image signal of the vehicle interior monitoring camera 150 is input from the security ECU 151 to the microcomputer 102. Further, an operation contact signal of the touch panel forming the operation panel unit 4 is input to the microcomputer 102 through the touch panel substrate 119 in the form of a serial signal. The LEDs constituting the button indicating light emitting unit 8 and the display light emitting unit 9 are connected to an LED driver 109, and a PWM signal for lighting (and luminance) control is input from the microcomputer 102 to the LED driver 109. The A liquid crystal (LCD) panel 3 for displaying a set temperature is connected to an LCD driver 110, and display temperature information is input from the microcomputer 102 to the LCD driver 110 as a serial output. The motor constituting the rotation drive unit 40 is connected to the motor driver 113, and a motor control signal from the microcomputer 102 is input to the motor driver 113.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the electrical configuration of the main board 114 on which the microcomputer 102 is mounted and its peripheral part. The microcomputer 102 has a hardware configuration in which nonvolatile memories such as an input / output unit I / O, CPU, ROM, RAM, and flash memory are connected by an internal bus, and a serial communication bus SB via a communication interface I / F. Connected to. In the control program of the operation unit 2U, fixed components are stored in the ROM, and components that may be rewritten such as version upgrades are stored in the nonvolatile memory.

The following are connected to the input / output unit I / O ("L, R" indicates that they are provided in the left and right units 2, respectively).
Touch panel substrate 119: Touch panel 4 is connected (connected via signal voltage conversion circuits 103 and 104).
LED drivers 106 and 107 (L, R): The LEDs forming the light emitting units 8 and 9 are connected.
Switch board 90: A bidirectional switch 100 constituting a rotational displacement detector is connected.
LED driver board 70 (L, R): LED 71 for backlight is connected.
LCD driver board 110 (L, R): The liquid crystal panel 3 is connected.
Sensor board 112 (L, R) (connected via the interface 111): An approaching object detection unit (hand-holding sensor) 15 is connected.
Motor driver board 113: DC motor 40 (L, R) that constitutes rotation drive unit 40 and bidirectional switch 101 (L, R) that constitutes limit position detection unit 79 are connected.
The signal input / output system of the air conditioner operation unit U described above is collectively shown in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the motor driver 113, which includes a signal power supply circuit 43, a motor control microcomputer 43, and an H bridge circuit for motor switching drive (configuration is well known). . The microcomputer 43 receives a forward signal (forward rotation) and a backward signal (reverse rotation) independently from the main board 114 (microcomputer 102) for each of the left and right units. In response to this, the microcomputer 43 generates a transistor drive signal corresponding to the instructed rotation direction and inputs it to the H bridge circuit 41. The H bridge circuit 41 receives this and outputs a drive current to the motor 40. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 2 is driven forward or backward, but when the movement limit is reached and the switch urging units 82 and 83 shown in FIG. An energizing signal is input to the microcomputer 42. The microcomputer 42 receives this and stops outputting the transistor drive signal. Thereby, the rotation of the motor 40 is stopped, and the operation unit 2 also stops moving forward or backward.

  The air conditioner operating unit U including the on-vehicle electronic device operating device 1 (L, R) described above is summarized as follows. That is, when the ignition switch of the automobile is turned on, in FIG. 1, after a welcome operation such as lighting a specific LED or flushing, the left and right dial operation units 2 are both in the retracted position. Stand-by state for advance / retreat operation. Further, in this standby state, the light emitting system including the backlight of the liquid crystal panel 3, the button indicating light emitting portion 8, and the display light emitting portion 9 is set to the second light quantity that is dimmed. In this state, when the user's hand approaches one of the dial operation units 2, the approaching object detection unit 15 detects this, and it is further determined that the approaching object is a hand from the image captured by the camera 150. The corresponding dial operation unit 1 is driven forward to the protruding position. At this time, the luminance of the light emitting system is increased to the second light amount. Since the dial operation part 2 protrudes, rotation operation for temperature adjustment can be performed easily. Further, when the angular position of the dial operation unit 2 is changed by the operation, the set temperature display content of the liquid crystal panel 3 is also changed in response to the corresponding set temperature change. When the hand is released from the dial operation unit 2 after the operation is completed, the approaching object detection unit 15 enters a non-detection state. The dial operation unit 2 is driven backward when the predetermined time has elapsed after entering the non-detection state and returns to the retracted position. At this time, the light emitting system gradually decreases from the first light amount as the dial operation unit 2 moves backward, and becomes the second light amount in the standby state. If the approaching object detection unit 15 detects the approach of the hand again while the dial operation unit 2 is moving backward, the dial operation unit 2 is immediately driven back to the protruding position, and the light emitting system also returns to the first light quantity. . On the other hand, when the dial operation unit 2 is in the protruding position or the ignition switch is turned off while moving toward the protruding position, the dial operating unit 2 is forcibly returned to the retracted position and stops operating ( In addition, the light emitting system is turned off).

  Hereinafter, an example of the operation control process of the air conditioner operation unit U will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 10 shows a main control routine. In S1, each program module is initialized, and thereafter, the processing of S2 to S9 is periodically repeated to execute state monitoring and control processing according to the state. In S2, the state of the switch (soft button) input signal on the operation panel (touch panel) 4 (that is, which button has been pressed) is determined. FIG. 11 shows the details. In S22, a serial signal indicating the touch panel energization state is acquired, the contents are analyzed in S23, and which switch is currently touch activated in S24 (number). Is identified.

  Returning to FIG. 10, next, in S3, it is determined whether or not the same switch as in the previous time is touched. If it is energized, the process proceeds to the A / C panel control process in S4 on the assumption that the touch of the switch is energized. If not pressed, the process proceeds to S5, and if it is determined that there has been a touch urging (continuous pressing) for a certain time or longer, it is assumed that a switch other than the previous one has been newly touched and the A / S in S4 Proceed to the C panel control process. On the other hand, if it is determined in S5 that there is no continuous pressing, it is determined that no switch is touched, and S4 is skipped.

  FIG. 12 shows details of the A / C panel control process. The processing corresponding to the urging of the touch of each soft button changes according to the urging status of the auto switch and the A / C switch shown in FIG. If the auto switch is energized to enter the auto mode, the mixing ratio of hot air / cold air by the air mix damper (not shown) and the air volume by the fan rotation speed are automatically controlled according to the set temperature. In this case, the only operation that can be changed by the user is to select the outlet. In addition, if the auto switch is de-energized and is in the manual mode, the user can freely change the air volume setting. On the other hand, when the A / C switch is turned off, the evaporator is turned off, and the air conditioner is in a blowing mode for performing only blowing. Since the mode changes in accordance with the switch urging status in this way, it is determined in S41 of FIG. 12 which current mode is selected, and the state management process based on the touch-energized switch number is performed in S42 to S44. For each mode. When a new switch is energized, a state transition process corresponding to the switch number is performed in S45, and lighting control of the LEDs 8 and 9 corresponding to the energized switch number is performed in S46 to S48.

  FIG. 16 shows an example of the state transition. In this embodiment, when the ignition switch (or accessory switch) transitions from OFF to ON, a welcome operation for picking up is performed by the user before shifting to normal control (for example, a specific switch) LED lighting, flushing, etc.) After the transition to the normal control, the operation of the temperature setting dial operation unit 2 is accepted in any of the auto mode, the manual mode, and the air blowing mode.

  Returning to FIG. 10, the process proceeds to the PWM control of S6. FIG. 13 shows the details. This control is performed by increasing (or decreasing) the luminance in a stepwise manner for performing the highlight display lighting of the button indicating light emitting unit 8 corresponding to the switch for which the urging operation has been performed, or the display light emitting unit 9 according to the operation result. ), And the time required to increase or decrease the luminance is set longer than one cycle of the main control routine. In S61, it is determined whether or not the brightness change is in the middle of the cycle. If not, the process proceeds to S67 to acquire a brightness change start time indicating at which timing the brightness change is to be started. In S68, the brightness is increased. Start (or decrease) processing. On the other hand, if the luminance change is in the middle of S61, the elapsed time from the already acquired luminance change start time is calculated. If the luminance change has not yet ended in S63, the luminance corresponding to the elapsed time is calculated. Continue the change process. On the other hand, if the luminance change has been completed in S63, the process proceeds to S64 to perform processing for returning to the normal luminance.

  Returning to FIG. 10, the process proceeds to the control of the dial operation unit 2 in S7. FIG. 14 shows the details. In S70, it is determined whether or not an approaching object is detected by the approaching object detection unit 15. If it is detected, the process proceeds to S71, and it is determined whether the approaching object is a hand based on a signal photographed by the camera 150 and input from the security ECU 151 to the microcomputer 102.

  Processing for determining whether the approaching object is a hand will be described with reference to FIGS. 20, 21A, and 21B. FIG. 21A shows an in-vehicle image taken by the surveillance camera 150 for crime prevention. A captured image captured by the camera 150 as shown in FIG. 21A is transmitted from the security ECU 151 to the microcomputer 102. In the microcomputer 102, a part of the image is extracted from the photographed image in S91. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21A, the vicinity of the approaching object detection unit 15 is set as an extraction area, and an image in the extraction area is extracted. The extraction is performed when the approaching object detection unit 15 detects an approaching object. The image outside the extraction area is not extracted because it is not approaching the approaching object detection unit 15. If a region with high luminance is detected within a certain area within the extraction area, it is highly probable that an image of the operator's hand is included. Therefore, the high luminance region is cut out to determine whether it is the operator's hand. Used as an image.

  As shown in FIG. 21B, the image extracted in S92 is rotated, and subsequently enlarged or reduced in S93. In S94, the hand model image stored in advance in the microcomputer 102 and the photographed image subjected to conversion such as rotation, enlargement, reduction, etc. are overlaid, sampling points are extracted, and the photographed image is extracted as shown in FIG. And the degree of coincidence with the model image. If there is a coincidence within a predetermined range, the microcomputer 102 determines that the photographed approaching object is the hand of the operator. That is, it is determined based on the image photographed by the monitoring camera 150 whether the hand is an operator approaching the approaching object detection unit 15. Note that the security ECU 151 may determine whether the approaching object is a hand.

  Returning to FIG. 14, when it is determined that the approaching object is a hand, the process proceeds to S <b> 72, and a drive command signal in the forward (protruding) direction is output to the motor (rotation drive unit) 40. Then, in S73, the motor driver 113 receives this, and drives the motor 40 in the direction in which the operation unit 2U is projected.

  If an approaching object is not detected in S70, or if it is determined in S71 that the approaching object is not a hand, the process proceeds to S74, and it is determined whether or not the operation unit 2U is in the protruding position (this determination is performed by a bidirectional switch). This can be easily implemented by the presence or absence of the 101 energizing output). If it is in the protruding position, in S75, it is determined whether or not the waiting time for returning to the retracted position has elapsed. If it has elapsed, the process proceeds to S76, and the motor (rotary drive unit) 40 is moved in the retracting (retracting) direction. A drive command signal is output. Then, in S78, the motor driver 113 receives this, and drives the motor 40 in the direction in which the operation unit 2U is retracted (retracted (stored)). The driving speed of the motor 40 is smaller in the latter in the forward movement of S73 and the backward movement of S78. This speed control is performed by the microcomputer 43 in the motor driver 113. Further, as described above, as shown in FIG. 17, the light amount of the display panel 3 (lighting brightness of the backlight) is controlled so as to be gradually reduced when the operation unit 2U is retracted.

  On the other hand, if the waiting time has not elapsed in S75, the process proceeds to S77 and the waiting time is continued. If the operation unit 2U is not in the protruding position in S74, the process ends without doing anything.

  Returning to FIG. 10, a temperature setting display process associated with the dialing operation is performed in S8. FIG. 15 shows the details. When the dial operation unit 2 is rotated, the bidirectional switch 100 is repeatedly urged / released intermittently according to the operation angle, and independent operation corresponding to each forward / reverse operation direction is performed. The pulse signal is output. The current angular position can be grasped by counting the number of pulses. In S81, it is determined whether or not a counter pulse is input from the switch 100. If it is a positive pulse, the counter is incremented and the display temperature output to the display panel 3 is set to one pulse (for example, 0.5 ° C.). ) Only increase. If the pulse is in the reverse direction, the counter is decremented and the display temperature is decreased by one pulse (for example, 0.5 ° C.). In S85, the display output of the display panel 3 is updated at the displayed temperature or the reduced display temperature. If there is no counter pulse input in S81, the process ends without doing anything.

  The main control routine of FIG. 10 aborts the process halfway, assuming that it is abnormal if the processing cycle does not end within the specified time of the watchdog timer. On the other hand, if the processing cycle ends within the specified time, the watchdog timer is reset in S9, and the process returns to S2 to repeat the following processing.

  As shown in FIG. 22, in addition to the infrared reflection sensor 15 and its detection circuit 150k described in the above embodiment and the determination of the operator's hand hold by the vehicle interior monitoring camera 150 and the security ECU 151, the seating sensor 152 And its detection circuit 152k. The seating sensor 152 detects whether or not the user is seated on the seat, and can be configured by a proximity switch or the like embedded in the vehicle seat. For example, when the driver (operator) is seated in the driver's seat by the seating sensor 152, only the signal from the infrared reflection sensor 15 on the driver's seat side is determined, and further, the vehicle interior monitoring camera 150 By determining whether the approaching object is a hand, it is possible to more reliably determine the hand-holding and prevent malfunction due to another approaching object.

  Further, instead of the seating sensor 152 or along with the seating sensor 152, a temperature sensor 153 and its detection circuit 153k may be provided. The temperature sensor 153 is a non-contact sensor that is installed in a vehicle and has an infrared detection element and can detect the surface temperature of an approaching object. As a result, when it is determined that the temperature of the approaching object is around the body temperature, and it is determined that the approaching object is a hand, the hand-holding can be determined more reliably.

The front view which shows an example of the air-conditioner operation unit which is one of the application objects of this invention. Action explanatory drawing of the vehicle-mounted electronic device operating device of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of an approaching object detection part. The side view which shows an example of an operation unit. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 4A. The exploded perspective view of an operation unit. The block diagram which shows the outline of the electrical constitution of an air-conditioner operation unit. The block diagram which shows the detail of the electrical structure of the main board | substrate and its peripheral part. Signal input / output system diagram of the air conditioner operation unit. The block diagram which shows an example of the circuit structure of a motor driver. The flowchart which shows an example of the main control routine of an air-conditioner operation unit. 11 is a flowchart showing details of switch input signal determination processing in FIG. 10. The flowchart which similarly shows the detail of A / C panel control processing. The flowchart which shows the detail of the PWM control process of LED similarly. The flowchart which shows the detail of the control processing of a dial operation part similarly. The flowchart which similarly shows the detail of temperature setting display control. The state transition diagram of the control processing of an air-conditioner operation unit. The timing chart which shows an example of the lighting control pattern of a backlight. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of an operation unit with an effect | action. The schematic diagram which shows the example of installation of a camera. The flowchart which shows the determination process of a hand. The figure which shows the image | video in the vehicle which a surveillance camera image | photographs. Explanatory drawing explaining the determination process from a picked-up image. The figure which shows the Example provided with the seating sensor and the temperature sensor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle-mounted electronic device operating device 2 Dial operation part 2U Operation unit 3 Display part 10 Operation main-body part 10c Energizing convex part FF apparatus front surface OA Operation axis VP Protrusion position QP Retraction position 15 Approaching object detection part 20 Rotating member 21 Cam groove 22 Gear part 30 Advance / retreat drive base part 31 Cam follower 29 Support base body 33 Support body part 42 Advance / retreat drive mechanism HC displacement conversion transmission mechanism 70 Drive board 71 Backlight light source 79 Limit position detection part 82, 83 Switch urging part 90 Circuit board 100 Operation displacement Detection unit 102 Microcomputer (advance / retreat drive control means, display output light quantity adjustment means)
201 Housing 201h Mounting hole

Claims (6)

An in-vehicle electronic device operating device that is used in a vehicle to operate an in-vehicle electronic device,
A housing forming the front of the device;
A dial operation unit that is disposed inside a mounting hole formed in the housing so as to open to the front surface of the device, and is rotatable around an operation axis that intersects the front surface of the device;
A projecting position projecting from the front surface of the apparatus by a predetermined height at which the operator can manually operate the dial operating unit by gripping the outer peripheral surface of the dial operating unit in the mounting hole; An advancing / retracting drive mechanism for driving the dial operation portion to advance / retreat within the mounting hole between a retracted position where the protruding height is reduced from the protruding position;
An approaching object detection unit that detects the approaching object in a non-contact manner when the approaching object approaches the dial operation unit up to a certain distance;
An auxiliary approaching object identifying unit for identifying whether the approaching object is the hand of the operator;
When the approaching object detection unit is in a detection state and the auxiliary approaching object identification unit identifies that it is an operator's hand, the dial operation unit is driven forward to the protruding position by the advance / retreat driving mechanism, and the approaching object detection is performed. While the auxiliary approaching object identification unit recognizes the operator's hand while the part is in the detection state, the dial operation unit is held at the protruding position, and the approaching object detection unit is in the non-detection state and the predetermined time is reached. When the time has elapsed, the dial operation unit is driven to move backward to the retracted position by the moving speed smaller than the forward drive by the forward / backward drive mechanism, and when the approaching object detection unit is in the detection state during the backward drive, the dial operation unit is and advancing drive control means Ru was reverse driven into the protruding position,
An in-vehicle electronic device operating device comprising:   The in-vehicle electronic device operating device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary approaching object identifying unit is configured by a camera that photographs the hand of the operator.   The camera is also used as a security monitoring camera mounted on the vehicle, and determines whether it is the hand of the operator approaching the approaching object detection unit based on an image taken by the monitoring camera The vehicle-mounted electronic device operating device according to claim 2, further comprising an image identifying unit.   The in-vehicle electronic device operating device according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary approaching object identifying unit includes a shape determining unit that determines whether the hand of the operator is the shape of a captured image.   The on-vehicle electronic device operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the auxiliary approaching object identifying unit includes a temperature detection sensor that detects a temperature of the hand of the operator. The in-vehicle electronic device operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary approaching object identifying unit includes a seating sensor provided in a seat of the vehicle.

Images