1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an onboard apparatus and the like to be mounted on vehicles such as personal vehicles and business vehicles, and more particularly, to an onboard apparatus and the like to be mounted on the vehicle in the manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
The movement to aim at the improvement of assembly performance in manufacturing process and lowering in cost by modulizing parts forming a vehicle, such as doors and an instrument panel, has becoming remarkable. Also the techniques to modulize onboard apparatuses such as audio systems, air conditioners and navigation systems have been provided (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-275044 (p. 2) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-278703 (p. 2)) In the case where a navigation system is modulized, the navigation system is taken in an instrument panel. Therefore, the external appearance and the dimension are standardized similarly to the present audio systems. Also in the case where the navigation system is modulized, it is expected that the required function and display design are different depending on the kind of the vehicle on which it is mounted (for example, high-class vehicle or economy vehicle). More particularly, since the display part (screen) of the navigation system is large as 6.5-8 inches, it has a large effect on the design of an instrument panel, that is, the atmosphere of the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, it can be considered to prepare a dedicated navigation system having a different display design for each vehicle type.
However, to prepare a dedicated navigation system for each vehicle type, the derivative models of the navigation system must be prepared by the number of vehicle types; it causes a complexity in the manufacturing process. Also, there is a problem that preparing a derivative model for each vehicle type increases the costs of design and manufacturing management and stock management.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to use the same onboard apparatus and navigation system in many kinds of vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to inform the user of vehicle recall information.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of an onboard apparatus (navigation system) which itself recognizes the vehicle type of the vehicle on which the navigation system is mounted, and displays information corresponding to the design and function that are peculiar to the recognized vehicle type.
Specifically, the present invention provides an onboard apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle, for obtaining vehicle information being the information peculiar to the vehicle by obtaining means, recognizing the kind of the vehicle by recognition means based on the vehicle information obtained by this obtaining means, and displaying information corresponding to the design peculiar to the vehicle and/or the function peculiar to the vehicle on display means such as a display, based on the recognition result by this recognition means.
Here, the vehicle information can be characterized by including at least some one of the manufacturer, the country that manufactured, the using country, the vehicle type and the manufacturing number, of the vehicle. The obtaining means can be characterized by obtaining the vehicle information from the center controller provided in the vehicle. The obtaining means can be characterized by obtaining the vehicle information based on the shape of a connector to attach the onboard apparatus to the vehicle or the formed position of the connector. Furthermore, the onboard apparatus can be characterized by receiving recall information by receiving means, determining whether or not the above vehicle is the vehicle to be recalled by the determination means, by the above recall information received by the receiving means and the kind of the above vehicle recognized by the above recognition means, and if it is determined that the above vehicle is the vehicle to be recalled by this determination means, displaying the recall information on the above display means.
On the other hand, the present invention provides a navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle, for performing a route guide to the user, and for storing a table in that plural vehicle types are connected with screen design to perform a route guide in a storage part, comparing the vehicle type of the vehicle on which the navigation system is mounted to the table by a comparison part, and setting a screen design corresponding to the vehicle type of the vehicle by a design setting part based on the comparison result by the comparison part. Here, the design setting part can be characterized by setting a different screen design for the vehicle in that the driver sits on the left side in the line from a design for the vehicle in that the driver sits on the right side in the line.
Gripping from another angle, the present invention provides a navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle, for performing a route guide to the user, and for storing a table in that each of plural vehicle types is connected with a function necessary for the vehicle type in a storage part, comparing the vehicle type of the vehicle on which the navigation system is mounted to the table by a comparison part, and setting a function corresponding to the vehicle type of the vehicle in a function setting part based on the comparison result by the comparison part. Here, the function setting part can be characterized by setting also functions other than the route guide.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a display screen setting method for setting a screen to be displayed on a display system mounted on a vehicle, and it also can be grasped as the invention of the method including the first step for obtaining vehicle information being the information peculiar to the vehicle on which the navigation system is mounted, and the second step for setting a screen design to be displayed on the screen and/or a function based on the obtained vehicle information. Here, the first step can be characterized by obtaining at least some one of the manufacturer, the country that manufactured, the using country, the vehicle type and the manufacturing number, of the vehicle as the vehicle information.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed-description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.
In the accompanying drawings:
Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:
Here, the CAN 10 is a network having a bus type topology, and in which the center controller 11, various sensors 12 installed in a vehicle, a power seat controller 13 for controlling the positions and the angles of seats, a steering controller 14 for controlling steering, an engine controller 15 for controlling an engine, a brake controller 16 for controlling the brakes, an air-conditioning controller 17 for controlling air-conditioning, and a transmission controller 18 for controlling a transmission are connected therein. The power seat controller 13, the steering controller 14, the engine controller 15, the brake controller 16, the air-conditioning controller 17 and the transmission controller 18 are integratedly controlled by the center controller 11, based on various kinds of sensing information from the sensors 12 and instructions from the user.
On the other hand, the MOST 20 is a network having a ring type topology. In this embodiment, the MOST 20 has a navigation system module 21 for performing a route guide or the like to the user, a Bluetooth module 22 for performing short-distance wireless transmission at a predetermined radio frequency (2.45 GHz), an IEEE 802.11x module 23, for example, based on the standard of the IEEE 802.11b, for performing communication with a predetermined access point by means of a transmission line other than a cable, such as a radio wave and infrared rays, an audio system module 24 for reproducing, for example, a music CD and a DVD, a Vehicle Information and Communication System (VICS: Japanese real-time traffic information provided by the Vehicle Information and Communication System Center (VICS Center)) module 25 for obtaining traffic information such as accidents and traffic jams by means of beacons (information communication equipment) set up on roads, frequency modulation (FM) multiplex broadcasting or the like, a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) module 26 for performing high-speed bulk bidirectional communication by means of a narrowband communication system, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 27 for receiving radio waves from at least three or more Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and measuring the position of the vehicle in two dimension (latitude, longitude), and a gateway 28 for connecting the MOST 20 to the CAN 10.
In this embodiment, position measurement information and position measurement precision information on the present position can be obtained from the GPS module 27, VICS module 25 and DSRC module 26, that exist in the MOST 20 (see
The system part for reading map data, function and display design 40 can provide a hard disk drive (HDD) 41 which has been widely used as a magnetic recording medium, a DVD-ROM 42 and a CD-ROM 43 being optical disks, a memory card 44 being a recording medium using a semiconductor memory, a DVD±RW 45 being a rewritable optical disk usable as both media of a DVD+R/RW and a DVD-R/RW, a Blu-ray 46 being the next generation of optical disk, or the like, as recording-media. One of them can be used or two of them may be used by combining.
The user interface 50 provides a display system 51 for performing the display output of the map data, navigation function and the display design read from the system part for reading map data, function and display design 40 to provide the information to the user (driver etc.), an audio system 52 for the audio output of guides and cautions to the user, and operating keys 53 for receiving various inputs by the user.
On the other hand,
In this embodiment, the navigation system module 21 itself automatically changes the design of a screen to be displayed on the display system 51 and various functions including the navigation function, depending on the vehicle in that this navigation system module 21 is installed. Such setting processing is performed when the switch of the vehicle was turned on: concretely, when the user turned the ignition key.
Here, the vehicle information means the information allotted to each vehicle and peculiar to the vehicle, and it includes for example, the manufacturer, the country that manufactured, the using country, the vehicle type, the manufacturing number, etc., of this vehicle. This vehicle information has been previously stored in the ROM 84 in the center controller 11 (see
It will be described by giving a concrete example. For instance, if the vehicle information obtained by the center controller 11 in step S203 is “manufacturer A, vehicle type a1, using country α”, in step S206, design d-type1, function f-type1 are set. Here, if the vehicle type a1 of the manufacturer A is for example a high-class vehicle, the design d-type1 becomes a luxury one fitting for high-class vehicles. Also, for instance, the name and the mark of the manufacturer A and the vehicle type a1 can be displayed on the start-up screen. Furthermore, if the using country α is a lefthand drive country, the user (driver) sitting on the right side in the line will operate the operating keys 53 displayed on the display screen of the display system 51 with the left hand. Therefore, the design d-type1 becomes the design in which the operating keys 53 are displayed on the right hand (driver side) by considering the operability. For instance, if the using country α is Japan, in the function f-type1, the language to be displayed on the display system 51 and the sounds to be emitted from the audio system 52 are set to Japanese. Furthermore, if the vehicle type a1 of the manufacturer A is the high-class vehicle, as the function f-type1, the function is set so that in addition to the navigation screen, for example, a mileage measuring screen and a night-vision screen (obstacle detecting screen by infrared rays) can be displayed on the display system 51, as the functions peculiar to high-class vehicles.
Furthermore, for instance, in the case where the vehicle information obtained from the center controller 11 in step S203 is “manufacturer A, vehicle type a8, using country β”, in step S206, design d-type2, function f-type2 are set. Here, for instance, in the case where the vehicle a8 of the manufacturer A is an economic vehicle, the design d-type2 becomes a popular design fitting for economic vehicles. Also, for instance, the name and the mark of the manufacturer A and the vehicle type a8 can be displayed on the start-up screen. Furthermore, if the using country β is a righthand drive country, the user (driver) sitting on the left side in the line will operate the operating keys 53 displayed on the display screen of the display system 51 with the right hand. Therefore, the design d-type2 becomes the design in which the operating keys 53 are displayed on the left hand (driver side) by considering the operability. For instance, if the using country βis the United States, as the function f-type2, the language to be displayed on the display system 51 and the sounds to be emitted from the audio system 52 are set to English. Furthermore, if the vehicle type a8 of the manufacturer A is an economic vehicle, as the function f-type1, the function is set so that only navigation screen can be displayed on the display system 51.
Also in the case where a vehicle type of manufacturers B or C, other than the manufacturer A was selected, the settings of the design and the function are performed similarly.
In this manner, in this embodiment, the table in which the manufacturer and vehicle type are connected with the design and function has been previously installed in the navigation system module 21, and the navigation system module 21 itself recognizes the vehicle information (country that manufactured, manufacturer, vehicle type, using country, manufacturing number) supplied from the center controller 11, and automatically sets the screen design and the function fitting for the vehicle on which the navigation system is mounted. Thereby, one type of navigation system module 21 can be used in many kinds of vehicles. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to prepare derivative models of the navigation system module 21 for each of various vehicle types; the costs of design and manufacturing management and stock management can be reduced.
This embodiment is almost similar to Embodiment 1, however, recall information on vehicles can be informed the user. Note that, in this embodiment, the description of the parts similar to Embodiment 1 will be omitted by adding the same reference numerals as Embodiment 1.
The recall information on vehicles is aiming at preventing accidents by defective vehicles and protecting automobile users and others, and it means the information released in the system that in the case where the structure, equipment or performance of automobiles in a certain range of the same model made or imported by the automobile maker (manufacturer) or the like are not conforming or are likely not to conform to the rules on automobile safety and to prevent pollution (vehicle safety standard on road traffic), and it caused in the design process or the manufacturing process, the automobile maker (manufacturer) or the like notifies the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Government of Japan) of that, and calls in the automobiles and repairs free.
In this manner, in Embodiment 2, by using that the navigation system module 21 can send the center controller 11 the query about vehicle information, if this vehicle is the vehicle to be recalled, that is displayed on the display system 51 by the vehicle information and the received recall information. Thereby, the user can know that this vehicle is the vehicle to be recalled immediately.
In this embodiment, recessed parts 21a-21h are previously formed, four of them at the upper part and four of them at the lower part of the navigation system module 21. Pins 103 to be fitted in the recessed parts 21a-21d (in this embodiment, three pieces of pins 103a-103c) are erectly provided as occasion demands on the attaching part of the navigation system module 21 to the lower cockpit module 101, and pins 104 to be fitted in the recessed parts 21e-21h (in this embodiment, two pieces of pins 104a and 104b) are erectly provided as occasion demands on the attaching part of the navigation system module 21 to the upper cockpit module. And it is designed so that in the navigation system module 21, the number and the positions of the pins 103 and 104 fitted in the recessed parts 21a-21h can be detected. Specifically, these recessed parts 21a-21h and pins 103 and 104 work as one of connectors. Here, for instance, if it is designed so that the information about the manufacturer of the vehicle, the position of the steering wheel, etc., can be obtained by the number and the position of the pins 103 fitted in on the lower cockpit module 101, and the information about the vehicle type and the color of the interior can be obtained by the number and the position of the pins 104 fitted in on the upper cockpit module 102 side, similarly to Embodiment 1, one kind of navigation system module 21 can be used in many kinds of vehicles.
According to the present invention as described above, the same onboard apparatus and navigation system can be used in many kinds of vehicles.
While there has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be aimed, therefore, to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-106348 | Apr 2003 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10822072 | Apr 2004 | US |
Child | 11212298 | Aug 2005 | US |