The instant disclosure relates to a vehicle head unit system; in particular, to a head unit system that is installed in a vehicle, which has a detachable control touch panel.
More and more vehicles are equipped with a vehicle head unit, and the vehicle head unit has a touch panel, so as to provide a more convenient and instinctive way to operate the vehicle head unit. However, the touch panel is usually fixed in the vehicle, making it hard to update the software of the vehicle head unit. The functions and performance of the vehicle head unit are limited. To enhance the functions of the vehicle head unit, the whole vehicle head unit needs to be replaced, and the cost is very expensive. Moreover, the touch panel cannot be used independently.
The instant disclosure provides a vehicle head unit system equipped with a detachable control touch panel for solving the problem of the touch panel fixed on the vehicle head unit, which causes the functions and performance of the vehicle head unit to be limited and not easily updated.
To achieve the above-mentioned subject, according to an embodiment of the instant disclosure, a vehicle head unit system is provided, which includes a head unit with a receiving hole, a control touch panel and a transferring unit. The control touch panel has an operating surface and a back side opposite to the operating surface. The transferring unit has a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the back side of the control touch panel, and the second end is detachably received in the receiving hole of the head unit.
The instant disclosure has at least the effective results as follows. The vehicle head unit system provided by the instant disclosure can have many types of transferring unit. The control touch panel is mounted to the head unit of the vehicle in a detachable manner for providing an operating interface. The operating system and software can be updated conveniently by replacing the old control touch panel with a new, more powerful one. The control touch panel can be separated from the head unit and used independently.
For further understanding of the instant disclosure, please refer to the following detailed description illustrating the embodiments of the instant disclosure. The description is only for illustrating the instant disclosure, not for limiting the scope of the claim.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
The aforementioned illustrations and the following detailed descriptions are exemplary for the purpose of further explaining the scope of the instant disclosure. Other objectives and advantages related to the instant disclosure will be illustrated in the subsequent descriptions and appended drawings.
Please refer to
The control touch panel 20 is a portable device. For example, the control touch panel 20 can be a tablet computer or smart phone, having an operating system, being able to install APPs (applications), equipped with an electrical connector, wireless antenna, and global positioning system hardware (GPS hardware). The control touch panel 20 has an operating surface 21, and a back side 22 opposite to the operating surface 21.
As shown in
The control touch panel 20 can provide the head unit 10 with a graphical operating interface and extend the functions of the head unit 10. In this embodiment, the front surface 11 of the head unit 10 has several buttons 112 and a monitor 114, which can be used to execute the functions of the head unit 10. The buttons 112 and the monitor 114 in
As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment, the first end 31 of the transferring unit 30 can be connected to the back side 22 of the control touch panel 20 by a rotatable means (such as a hinge), a fixing means (such as screws), or other means. The transferring unit 30 is connected to the back side 22 of the control touch panel 20 at an assembling angle θ1, which is adjustable, so that the control touch panel 20 can be attached to the head unit 10. As shown in
In
Moreover, the first end 31 of the transferring unit 30 can be designed to connect with the control touch panel 20 in a detachable manner. That is, the control touch panel 20 can be separated from the transferring unit 30. In addition, the electrical connector 324 can be electrically connected to the control touch panel 20 by the first end 31 of the transferring unit 30, such as by a cable, electrical connector, or electrical contact.
In this embodiment, the transferring unit 30 and the control touch panel 20 can be fixed to the head unit 10 by the force provided when the electrical connector 324 is coupled to the electrical connector 124. However, this instant disclosure is not limited thereto.
Refer to
In addition, the head unit 10 can further include an eject button 125 which, when pressed, retracts the fixing part 123 so that the anti-eject unit 33 and the fixing part 123 are separated. Thus, user can exert force to remove the control touch panel 20 from the head unit 10. This instant disclosure is not limited by this enhancement method; for example, the anti-eject unit and the fixing part can be exchanged, which also can provide an anti-eject effect. The anti-eject unit and the fixing part also can be installed on any side of the transferring unit 30, the front surface 11, or the back side 22 as long as the anti-eject unit and the fixing part work together to provide the anti-eject effect. In addition, the eject button 125 may not be a button; it could be a switch, such as tact switch, toggle switch, rocker switch, slide switch, etc. The eject button can be a touch button on the control touch panel 20 (such as “homepage”->“setup”->“eject” on the control touch panel), which communicates with the head unit 10 via the control touch panel 20 to retract the fixing part 123 to separate the control touch panel 20 from the head unit 10. Moreover, the ways of separating the control touch panel 20 and the head unit 10 are not limited thereto. For example, a push-push mechanism for ejecting can be used. That is, in the first push, the control touch panel 20 and the transferring unit 30 are fixed in the head unit 10. In the second push, the control touch panel 20 and the transferring unit 30 are ejected from the head unit 10. Here is another example: After pressing the eject button 125, the control touch panel 20 automatically separates from the head unit 10, and the control touch panel 20 moves back a distance toward the user for the user to exert a force to take the control touch panel 20 out.
Even if there is no anti-eject mechanism, the head unit 10 can still have an eject button 125. When the control touch panel 20 is attached to the head unit 10, a user can press the eject button 125, and then the control touch panel 20 is slightly ejected toward the user. Thereafter, the user can exert a force to take the control touch panel 20 out.
Even if there is no anti-eject mechanism, the head unit 10 could be designed without an eject button 125. In such a case, after the control touch panel 20 is attached to the head unit 10, a user can directly exert a force to pull the control touch panel 20 from the head unit 10.
Note that the shapes of the transferring unit 30 and the receiving hole 12 are not limited to those shown in the figures of this instant disclosure.
In addition, a part or both the buttons 112 and the monitor 114 on the front surface 11 can be omitted.
When the control touch panel 20 is not attached to the head unit 10, many conditions are possible. In the first example, the initial position of the transferring unit 30 does not allow the user to combine the control touch panel 20 with the head unit 10. In such a condition, the user needs to extend the transferring unit 30, or use a button or switch of the head unit 10 so that the transferring unit 30 can be extended out and the user can put the control touch panel 20 on the transferring unit 30. In the second example, the initial position of the transferring unit 30 allows a user to combine the control touch panel 20 with the head unit 10. In such a condition, the user can directly put the control touch panel 20 on the transferring unit 30. In the third case, the front surface 11 of the head unit 10 has a detector 110. When the control touch panel 20 is detected by the detector 110, the transferring unit 30 is activated and moved to a position allowing the user to attach the control touch panel 20 to the transferring unit 30. The detector 110 can be at a different place such as on the transferring unit 30.
Concerning the ways of attaching the control touch panel 20 to the head unit 10 in this embodiment, more examples are given as follows. In one condition using common magnets, as the control touch panel 20 is put on the transferring unit 30, the control touch panel 20 can be fixed to the head unit 10 by magnetic force between the first magnetic module 35 and the second magnetic module 24. In another condition using electromagnets, if the head unit 10 has a detector 110, as the control touch panel 20 approaches the detector 110 and the detector 110 detects the control touch panel 20, the electromagnet is electrified automatically, and the user can join the control touch panel 20 to the transferring unit 30. In the condition of an electromagnet and the head unit 10 without having a detector 110, the user can manually operate the head unit 10 to power the electromagnet and then join the control touch panel 20 to the transferring unit 30.
Other examples concerning the ways of separating the control touch panel 20 from the head unit 10 in this embodiment are given as follows. The magnetic attracting ways could use ordinary magnets or electromagnets. Using common magnet, the control touch panel 20 can be taken away to separate it from the transferring unit 30 by exerting an external force. Using an electromagnet, the control touch panel 20 can be separated from the transferring unit 30 by cutting off the electric power. The ways of cutting off electric power can be such as by operating a program menu of the control touch panel 20 or by pressing a button/switch of the head unit 10.
In addition, when the first magnetic module 35 and the second magnetic module 24 have only magnetic power, the second magnetic module 24 can further have an electrical connector 243, and the first magnetic module 35 further has an electrical connector 353. The electrical connector 243 of the second magnetic module 24 is electrically connected the electrical connector 353 of the first magnetic module 35 so as to provide electrical conduction and signal transmission functions. When the first magnetic module 35 and the second magnetic module 24 already have magnetic power, electrical conduction and signal transmission functions, they can omit the electrical connector 243 and the electrical connector 353, such as the commercial product Magconn™.
Moreover, this embodiment can further have an anti-eject unit as mentioned in the first embodiment, which can be disposed on the transferring unit 30, the second magnetic module 24, the front surface 11 of the head unit 10, or the back side 22 of the control touch panel 20. The structure and functions of the anti-eject unit are much like those of the first embodiment. In the case of having the anti-eject unit, when separating the control touch panel 20 from the transferring unit 30, we need to remove the structural fixing force of the anti-eject unit by, for example, pressing the eject button 125, and we also need to remove the magnetic force. In the case of using ordinary magnets, user can exert a force to take the control touch panel 20 down. In the case of using electromagnets, the control touch panel 20 can be separated from the transferring unit 30 by cutting off electric power. A convenient method is that pressing the eject button 125 can remove the structural fixing force of the anti-eject unit, cut off the electric power of the electromagnet, and retract the transferring unit 30 to its initial position if needed. The operating ways and types of the eject button 125 are similar to those of the first embodiment.
Further, the shape of the transferring unit 30 and that of the receiving hole 12 are not limited to a rectangle as shown in the figures. The numbers, positions and shapes of the magnetic parts are not limited to what are shown in the figures. Other parts of the head unit 10 can be similar to those in the first embodiment.
Let's discuss what happens after the control touch panel 20 is removed from the transferring unit 30. If the head unit 10 has no detector 110, the transferring unit 30 can move back to the initial position in the head unit 10 by pushing the transferring unit 30 or by the user pushing a button/switch on the head unit 10. If the head unit 10 has the detector 110 and the detector 110 detects that the control touch panel 20 has been removed, the detector 110 can provide a signal to the head unit 10 to retract the transferring unit 30 back to its initial position.
Refer to
Further, the shape of the receiving hole 12 should correspond with that of the transferring unit 30a. The head unit 10 can have a mechanism to drive the transferring unit 30a out or back to the receiving hole 12. In this embodiment, the head unit 10 could have a detector 110 on the front surface 11. When the control touch panel 20 is detected, the screwing rotator 36 of the transferring unit 30a is driven to rotate and mate the screwing portion 26 of the control touch panel 20. Similar to the other embodiments, the head unit 10 could have an eject button 125. When the eject button 125 is pressed, the screwing rotator 36 is ejected from the screwing portion 26 of the control touch panel 20. If an anti-eject mechanism exists, the eject button 125 can also make the anti-eject mechanism retract and not work. Therefore, the control touch panel 20 can be separated from the transferring unit 30a. Alternatively, it can provide a set of steps on the control touch panel 20 to separate the control touch panel 20 and the transferring unit 30a such as “homepage”->“setup” ->“eject” on the control touch panel. The operating ways and types of the eject button 125 are similar to those of the above embodiments.
In addition, there are several cases when the user wants to combine the control touch panel 20 with the head unit 10. In the first example, the original position of the transferring unit 30a allows the user to combine the control touch panel 20 with the head unit 10. In this case, the user can directly put the control touch panel 20 on the transferring unit 30a. In the second example, the original position of the transferring unit 30a does not allow the user to combine the control touch panel 20 with the head unit 10. In this case, the user would need to move the transferring unit 30a out or use a button/switch of the head unit 10 so that the transferring unit 30a is extended out. Then, the user can put the control touch panel 20 on the transferring unit 30a. In the third example, the head unit 10 is equipped with the detector 110. When the control touch panel 20 is approaching the detector 110, the control touch panel 20 is detected by the detector 110, and then the transferring unit 30a is driven to a position where it is able to join the control touch panel 20 and the head unit 10. Then, the user can put the control touch panel 20 on the transferring unit 30a.
Moreover, if the head unit 10 has no detector 110, the user aligns the screwing portion 26 of the control touch panel 20 with the screwing rotator 36 of the transferring unit 30a and activates the screwing rotator 36 by a button or switch to rotate and connect with the screwing portion 26. After they are done mating, the screwing rotator 36 automatically stops rotating. If the head unit 10 has the detector 110, user aligns the screwing portion 26 of the control touch panel 20 with the screwing rotator 36 of the transferring unit 30a, and after the detector 110 detects the control touch panel 20, it automatically rotates the screwing rotator 36 to connect to the screwing portion 26. After they are fixed, the screwing rotator 36 automatically stops rotating.
When the control touch panel 20 has been taken away from the transferring unit 30a, and the head unit 10 is without the detector 110, the user can push the transferring unit 30a or press a button/switch of the head unit 10 so that the transferring unit 30a moves back to the original position in the head unit 10. If the head unit 10 is equipped with the detector 110, and the control touch panel 20 is no longer detected by the detector 110, the detector 110 can provide a signal to the head unit 10 so that the transferring unit 30a is retracted back to the original position. The detector 110 can be disposed at another place such as on the transferring unit 30a.
Refer to
Concerning other ways the control touch panel 20 is combined with or separated from the head unit 10, and other ways the transferring unit 30b retracts back to the original position in the head unit 10, refer to the above embodiments.
To sum up, this instant disclosure has benefits as follows. The vehicle head unit system of the instant disclosure provides many ways of the control touch panel 20 attaching to and detaching from the head unit 10 of the vehicle. The software of the vehicle head unit system can be conveniently updated by replacing the old control touch panel 20 with a new one. The control touch panel 20 can be separated from the head unit 10 and used independently.
For example, if the monitor of the current control touch panel 20 is only 7 inches, this instant disclosure can easily replace it with a control touch panel with a bigger screen. In addition, if a new control touch panel with more functions comes to market, the user can replace the old one with the new one.
The descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure; however, the characteristics of the instant disclosure are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alterations, or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the instant disclosure delineated by the following claims.