JPS6312019B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a control device for an automobile in which an operating device provided on a specific door of the automobile operates electrical equipment provided on other doors.

As the number of electronic and electrical devices installed in automobiles increases, the input devices that operate the output devices of these devices, that is, the operating devices, must be placed in a limited space within the vehicle interior and in a location that is easy to operate. There is a need. For example, an operating switch for power windows, automatic door locks, etc. is installed on the door on the driver's side, and a signal line from this operating switch is connected from the end of the door through the vehicle body to a drive device installed on another door. This drive device was operated by an operating switch.

However, in conventional automobile control devices, signals are transmitted from the operating device installed in the door to the drive device using an electric wire connected to the vehicle body from one end of the door. Electric wires are frequently bent and stretched, making it more likely that accidents such as wire breakage will occur. Furthermore, as the number of electric wires increases due to the increase in the number of signals from the operating device, such a connection becomes difficult in terms of space and reliability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a space-saving and highly reliable control device for an automobile by transmitting signals using light, eliminating the need for electric wires for signals.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides an operating device comprising a plurality of switches, an electro-optic converter for converting an electrical signal into an optical signal, and an electro-optic converter for converting an electrical signal into an optical signal, which is provided on at least one of a plurality of doors of an automobile. a transmitting circuit that detects the operating state of a switch operated by the operating device, converts it into a temporally serial signal, and drives the electro-optical converter based on this signal;
A signal transmission means provided on the vehicle body for transmitting an optical signal output from the electro-optical converter directly or after converting it into an electric signal, and a signal transmission means provided on at least one door other than the door. An opto-electric converter receives an optical signal transmitted through the transmitter and outputted from its output end, and converts it into an electrical signal. The control circuit includes a control circuit that outputs a predetermined control signal, and will be described in detail below using embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an automobile control device according to the present invention. In the same figure, reference numeral 1 includes a plurality of switches 2a to 2d, and as shown in FIG. A light emitting diode 4 is provided on one end surface of the side door and serves as a so-called electro-optical converter that converts an electric signal into an optical signal.The light emitting diode 4 converts the signal output from the operating device 1 into a temporally serial signal. 5 is a door on the driver's seat side where the operating device 1, the light emitting diode 3 and the transmitting circuit 4 are arranged, 6 is a door on the passenger seat side, and 7 is an input end 7a. and an output end 7b, an optical fiber serving as an optical signal transmission means for transmitting the optical signal output from the light emitting diode 3 to the door 6 on the passenger seat side; 8 is a vehicle body to which this optical fiber 7 is attached;
9 is attached to one end surface of the door 6 on the passenger seat side,
A phototransistor 10 serves as a photoelectric converter that receives an optical signal output from the output end 7b of the optical fiber 7 and converts it into an electrical signal. This is a control circuit that outputs a predetermined control signal 11 corresponding to the following.

Note that the phototransistor 9 and the control circuit 10 are arranged in the door 6 on the passenger seat side. 2 is a perspective view showing how the operating device 1, the light emitting diode 3, and the input end 7a of the optical fiber 7 shown in FIG. 1 are attached to an automobile. In the same figure,
12a and 12b connect the driver's side door 5 to the vehicle body 8.
It is a hinge that is attached to a hinge. Further, the optical fiber 7
The input end 7a of the vehicle body 8 is arranged so that the optical axis of the light emitting diode 3 and the optical axis of the input end 7a of the optical fiber 7 coincide with each other when the door 5 on the driver's side is closed.
It is located in FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the output end 7b of the optical fiber 7 and the phototransistor 9 of FIG. The output end 7b of the optical fiber 7
is arranged on the vehicle body 8 so that the optical axis of the phototransistor 9 and the optical axis of the output end 7b of the optical fiber 7 coincide with each other when the door 6 on the passenger seat side is closed.

Next, the operation of the automobile control device having the above configuration will be explained. First, with the driver's side door 5 (see Figure 2) and passenger side door 6 (see Figure 3) closed, the driver
One of the switches 2a to 2d is operated as necessary. For example, when the switch 2a is operated, the transmitting circuit 4 detects the operating state of the operated switch 2a, converts it into a temporally serial signal, and then drives the light emitting diode 3 based on this signal. Therefore, the optical signal emitted from the light emitting diode 3 is input to the input end 7a of the optical fiber 7, transmitted, and reaches the output end 7b. The optical signal output from the output end 7b of the optical fiber 7 is received by a phototransistor 9 provided in the door 6 on the passenger seat side. Therefore, this phototransistor 9 converts this optical signal into an electrical signal. Therefore, the control circuit 10 decodes the electrical signal output from the phototransistor 9 and outputs a predetermined control signal 11 corresponding to the operating state of the switch 2a of the operating device 1. Therefore, this control signal 11 can operate, for example, an actuator (not shown) that drives a power window (not shown) of the door 6 on the passenger side, an electromagnetic door lock (not shown), etc. . In this way, in addition to the transmission circuit 4, the control circuit 10, and the power supply line (not shown) for the actuator,
Signal lines connecting the driver's side door 5, the passenger's side door 6, and the vehicle body 8 are no longer required, and the transmitting circuit 4 converts input signals from the plurality of switches 2a to 2d into temporally serial signals. Since the conversion and multiplex transmission of signals are performed, a large number of signals can be transmitted using a pair of light emitting diodes 3 and a phototransistor 9, thereby saving space.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the automobile control device according to the present invention. 13, when the door 5 on the driver's seat side is closed, the light emitting diode 3
14 is a signal line passing through the vehicle body 8, 15 is a relay circuit, and 16 is a phototransistor installed in the vehicle body 8 to correspond to the phototransistor 9 when the door 6 on the passenger side is closed. This is a light emitting diode attached to the car body 8.

Next, the operation of the automobile control device having the above configuration will be explained. First, with the driver's side door 5 (see Figure 2) and passenger side door 6 (see Figure 3) closed, the driver
One of the switches 2a to 2d is operated as necessary. For example, when the switch 2a is operated, the transmitting circuit 4 detects the operating state of the operated switch 2a, converts it into a temporally serial signal, and then drives the light emitting diode 3 based on this signal. Therefore, the light signal emitted from this light emitting diode 3 is received by the phototransistor 13,
converted into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is then input to the relay circuit 15 through the signal line 14 in the vehicle body 8. This relay circuit 15 receives this electric signal and drives a light emitting diode 16, and the same optical signal as that of the light emitting diode 3 is transmitted to this light emitting diode 16.
is output from. And this light emitting diode 1
The optical signal at 6 is received by phototransistor 9 . Therefore, the control circuit 10 decodes the electrical signal output from the phototransistor 9,
A predetermined control signal 11 corresponding to the operating state of the switch 2a of the operating device 1 is output.
In this way, the phototransistor 13, the signal line 14, the relay circuit 15, and the light emitting diode 16 provided in the vehicle body 8 constitute an optical signal transmission means, and the phototransistor 13 and the light emitting diode 16 each transmit an optical signal. This corresponds to the input section and output section of the means.

In addition, when the number of doors of a car is large, each door is provided with an operating device 1, a transmission circuit 4, a light emitting diode 3, a phototransistor 9, and a control circuit 10 as appropriate, and signals between each door are transmitted to an optical signal transmission means. Of course, you can do the same thing by combining them.

As explained in detail above, according to the automobile control device according to the present invention, the door and the vehicle body and the vehicle body and the door are connected by optical signals, and the signal transmission means is provided in the vehicle body. This has the effect of saving space and improving reliability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automobile control device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the operating device shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the light emitting diode and the input end of the optical fiber are attached to the vehicle; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing how the output end of the optical fiber and phototransistor shown in FIG. 1 are attached to the vehicle; FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the automobile control device according to the present invention. 1... Operating device, 2a to 2d... Switch, 3...
...Light emitting diode (electro-optical converter), 4...Transmission circuit, 5...Driver's side door, 6...Passenger side door, 7...Optical fiber (optical signal transmission means), 8
... Vehicle body, 9 ... Phototransistor (photoelectric converter), 10 ... Control circuit, 11 ... Control signal,
12a-12d...Hinge, 13...Phototransistor, 14...Signal line, 15...Relay circuit, 1
6... Light emitting diode. In the figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operating device consisting of a plurality of switches provided on at least one of the plurality of doors of an automobile, an electro-optical converter that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal, and activation of the switch operated by the operating device. A transmitting circuit detects the state, converts it into a time-series signal, and drives the electro-optic converter based on this signal, and a transmitter circuit that detects the state and converts it into a temporally serial signal, and drives the electro-optic converter installed in the vehicle body and converts the optical signal directly or electrically. A signal transmission means for converting into a signal and transmitting the signal, and receiving an optical signal transmitted by the signal transmission means and output from an output end thereof, which is provided on at least one of the doors other than the door. It is characterized by comprising a photoelectric converter that converts it into an electrical signal, and a control circuit that decodes the output signal of the photoelectric converter and outputs a predetermined control signal in response to the signal from the operating device. Automotive control device.