JP2608215B2 - Portable transmitter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable transmitter for transmitting a plurality of types of operation command signals composed of airborne signals, and more particularly to an application for wirelessly controlling a load such as a lock mechanism for an automobile. It relates to a suitable portable transmission device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a door lock mechanism for an automobile, for example, wireless control is performed.
That is, such wireless control is realized by combining a portable transmission device capable of transmitting an operation command signal including a unique identification code by an airborne signal (for example, radio waves) and a reception device provided on the vehicle body side. The receiving device is configured to selectively perform the unlocking and locking operations of the door lock mechanism based on the operation command signal from the portable transmitting device.

In this case, in recent years, it has become common to improve the portability of the ignition key by incorporating the portable transmission device in a grip portion of the ignition key. A push button switch that is pressed when transmitting the command signal is provided. Further, in order to reliably perform the unlocking operation and the locking operation of the door lock mechanism, it has become a general practice to output two types of operation command signals for unlocking and locking from the portable transmission device. Therefore, the key grip portion is provided with two push button switches for unlocking and locking.

[0004]

The key grip portion has a background of a relatively small surface area. Therefore, in the conventional configuration in which two push button switches are arranged in the key grip portion, the operability is deteriorated. Inevitable. In particular, in order to increase the added value, when the portable transmitter also has a control function for other automobile loads (lock mechanism for trunk lid, power window regulator, etc.), that is, the number of operation command signals that can be transmitted is increased. In this case, it is necessary to provide a larger number of push button switches in the key grip portion, resulting in not only a significant reduction in operability but also a reduction in the rigidity of the key grip portion.
Problems such as increased restrictions on the design of the key grip portion also occur.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to have a structure capable of transmitting various kinds of operation command signals, but it is possible to greatly reduce the number of operation switches required, thereby improving the operability. Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable transmission device that is capable of preventing the situation in which the rigidity of the main body case provided with the operation switch is reduced and the situation in which the degree of freedom in design is restricted, and the like.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a portable transmission device for transmitting a plurality of types of operation command signals consisting of an airborne signal to a reception device. In addition to providing an operation switch that can be externally operated in the main body case, the main body case accommodates detection means that presents different detection states according to the presence of the operation switch in a different rotational position, and furthermore, in the main body case, according to the ON of the operation switch. The transmission means for generating the operation command signal preliminarily associated with the detection state of the detection means is provided.

[0007]

When the operation switch is turned on while the main body case is held at a desired rotational position, the transmission means transmits an operation command signal previously associated with the detection state of the detection means by the air propagation signal. . When the operation switch is turned on in a state where the main body case is held at a different rotation position from the above, that is, in a state where the detection state by the detection means is different, the transmission means transmits an operation command signal of a different type from the above in the air propagation signal. To send.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to load control for an automobile will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, an ignition key 1 also serving as a portable transmission device has a structure in which a flat key grip portion 2 serving as a main body case and a key plate 3 are integrally formed, and one side of the key grip portion 2 is provided. At the center of the side, an automatic return type push button switch 4 as an operation switch is provided so that it can be operated externally. Also, the key grip part 2
Inside, a detection switch 5 serving as a detecting means is housed, and a transmitting device 6 serving as a transmitting means, a power supply battery (not shown), and the like are housed.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of the detection switch 5. That is, the detection switch 5 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical case 5a made of an insulating material.
The electrodes 7 to 10 are arranged in a state of being separated from each other by an equal distance, and the conductive ball 1 is placed in the cylindrical case 5a.
1 is rollably stored. The detection switch 5 matches (or is parallel to) the center axis of the cylindrical case 5 a with the center axis of the key plate 3.
In addition, when the ignition key 1 is in the state as shown in FIG. 1 in which the push button switch 4 is directed upward, the electrodes 7 and 8 are positioned below the key grip portion 2
It is stored inside.

As a result, in the detection switch 5, as the ignition key 1 is displaced to each of the rotational positions as shown in FIGS. Is bridged. That is, the detection switch 5 exhibits different detection states according to the ignition key 1 being displaced to different rotational positions as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 3B to 6B, the electrode 7 is connected to the terminal T2, and the electrode 8 is connected to the terminal T2.
1 and T2, voltage dividing resistors 12a, 12 connected in series.
b, the electrode 9 is connected to the terminal T1, and the electrode 10 is connected to the common connection point of the voltage dividing resistors 12c and 12d connected in series between the terminals T1 and T2. The common connection point of the voltage dividing resistors 12a and 12b and the common connection point of the voltage dividing resistors 12c and 12d are configured as output terminals 5A and 5B of the detection switch 5, respectively.

The resistances of the resistors 12a and 12d are set to R, and the resistances of the resistors 12b and 12c are set to 2R. Therefore, the terminal T
When 1 is connected to the power supply terminal of voltage + V and terminal T2 is connected to the ground terminal of zero potential level, the ignition key 1 is displaced to each rotational position as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. Accordingly, voltage signals Ea and Eb having levels as shown in FIG. 7 are output from output terminals 5A and 5B, respectively.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an electric configuration, which will be described below. That is, the detection switch 5
Is the voltage + V at the terminal T1 via the push button switch 4.
Of the power supply terminal 13 and the terminal T2 is connected to the ground terminal. Therefore, when the push button switch 4 is turned on, the ignition key 1 is output from the output terminals 5A and 5B of the detection switch 5 in response to the displacement of the ignition key 1 to each rotational position as shown in FIGS. The levels of the voltage signals Ea and Eb will change as shown in FIG.

The transmitting device 6 is supplied with power from the power terminal 13 via the power line 13a when the push button switch 4 is turned on, and includes a reference voltage generating circuit 14, a signal processing circuit 15, and a transmitter 16. Has been done. The reference voltage generation circuit 14 is formed by connecting resistors 14a and 14b having the same resistance value between a power supply line 13a and a ground terminal. When the push button switch 4 is turned on, the resistances 14a and 14b Level is V from common connection point
/ 2 reference voltage signal Ec is output and applied to input terminal Q3 of signal processing circuit 15.

The signal processing circuit 15 has input terminals Q1, Q2
Is adapted to receive the voltage signals Ea and Eb from the detection switch 5, and by performing signal processing based on the voltage levels of the input signals Ea and Eb and the reference voltage signal Ec, the output terminals P1 to P4. Is configured to output an “H” level transmission command signal from only one of the above.

As a specific example of such a signal processing circuit 15, a configuration as shown in FIG. 9 can be considered. That is, FIG. 9 shows only the basic circuit configuration, and the Schmitt circuit built-in type inverters 17 and 18, the comparators 19 and 2 are provided between the input terminals Q1 to Q3 and the output terminals P1 to P4.
0, AND circuits 21 and 22, inverters 23 and 24
Are connected as shown in the figure.

In such a signal processing circuit 15,
As the ignition key 1 is displaced to the respective rotational positions as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the combination of the levels of the voltage signals Ea, Eb and Ec applied to the input terminals Q1, Q2 and Q3 is shown in FIG. It changes as shown in the "input signal" column, and accordingly, the output signals from the output terminals P1 to P4 change as shown in the "output signal" column in FIG.

On the other hand, the transmitter 16 has an antenna 16a.
The transmission operation of a radio signal is performed through the transmission processing signal (signal of "H" level) selectively output from the output terminals P1 to P4 of the signal processing circuit 15 as described above. It is configured to perform such a transmission operation.

When the transmission command signal is received from the output terminal P1, the operation command signal Sa for commanding the unlocking of the door lock mechanism is transmitted.

When the transmission command signal is received from the output terminal P2, the operation command signal Sb for commanding the locking of the door lock mechanism is transmitted.

When receiving a transmission command signal from the output terminal P3, a power window regulator (not shown) transmits an operation command signal Sc for moving the window glass upward (to the closing direction).

When the transmission command signal is received from the output terminal P4, an operation command signal Sd for moving the window glass downward (opening direction) is transmitted by a power window regulator (not shown).

In short, the transmission device 6 operates when the push button switch 4 is turned on in a state where the ignition key 1 is in four kinds of rotational positions as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) to 6 (a). In addition, different types of operation command signals S previously associated with the four detection states of the detection switch 5
a, Sb, Sc, and Sd are transmitted as radio signals.

On the other hand, although not shown, a receiving device for receiving operation command signals Sa, Sb, Sc, and Sd is provided on the side of the vehicle provided with the door lock mechanism and the power window regulator. The device executes the unlocking operation of the door lock mechanism when receiving the operation command signal Sa, executes the locking operation of the door lock mechanism when receiving the operation command signal Sb, and receives the operation command signal Sc. First, the power window regulator is driven to move the window glass upward, and when the operation command signal Sd is received, the power window regulator is driven to move the window glass downward.

According to the above-described embodiment, when transmitting four types of operation command signals Sa to Sd from the ignition key 1 constituting the portable transmission device, one push button switch 4 is applied to the key grip portion 2. Since it is only necessary to provide the key grip, the operability of the push button switch 4 can be set to a good state, and it is not necessary to provide a large number of operation switches in the key grip portion 2 as in the conventional case. This eliminates the possibility that the rigidity of the portion 2 is reduced and the design restrictions of the key grip portion 2 are increased.

It is needless to say that the signal processing circuit 15 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but is configured to obtain the same function as the signal processing circuit 15 using, for example, a one-chip CPU. Is also good.

The load to be controlled by the operation command signal is not limited to the door lock mechanism and the power window regulator, but can be applied to the control of the trunk lid lock mechanism and the like. Further, in the above embodiment, one push button switch 4 is provided as an operation switch. However, operability is deteriorated even when there is enough space for arranging the operation switches, that is, when two or more operation switches are provided. If there is no danger, the number of operation command signals that can be transmitted can be greatly increased by increasing the number of operation switches.

In addition, the detection switch 5 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, the detection switch 25 having the configuration as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 showing the second embodiment of the present invention. May be used as the detection means.

That is, in FIGS. 11 and 12, the detection switch 25 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical case 26 made of a dielectric material.
The electrodes 27a to 27d are arranged with a gap therebetween, and the electrodes 27e are arranged on both end faces of the cylindrical case, and mercury 28 is sealed in the cylindrical case 26. It is composed. If the detection switch 25 configured as described above is incorporated in the ignition key 1 as in the first embodiment, the position of the mercury 28 changes according to the rotation of the ignition key 1 and the electrodes 27a to 27d. Since the capacitance between the electrode and the electrode 27e changes, such a change can be used for detecting the rotational position of the ignition key 1.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and is not limited to the control of the load for automobiles, for example, and can be applied to the control of other general loads. Can be implemented with various modifications.

[0032]

According to the present invention, as will be apparent from the above description, the type of operation command signal to be transmitted can be selected by detecting means for exhibiting different detection states according to the presence of the main body case at different rotational positions. Since it is configured to be used, it is possible to transmit a large number of types of operation command signals, but it is possible to significantly reduce the number of operation switches required, and it is possible to improve operability. In addition, it is possible to achieve an excellent effect that it is possible to prevent a situation in which the rigidity of the main body case provided with the operation switches is reduced and a situation in which the degree of freedom in design is restricted beforehand.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detection switch.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a rotation position of an ignition key and a detection state of a detection switch.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between a rotation position of an ignition key and a detection state of a detection switch.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotational position of the ignition key and the detection state of the detection switch, part 3

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation position of the ignition key and the detection state of the detection switch, part 4

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an output example of a detection switch.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration.

FIG. 9 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an electrical configuration of a main part.

10 is a diagram showing a signal processing result by the circuit configuration of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a detection switch showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a detection switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

In the figure, 1 is an ignition key (portable transmission device), 2
Is a key grip portion (body case), 4 is a push button switch (operation switch), 5 is a detection switch (detection means), 6 is a transmission device (transmission means), 14 is a reference voltage generation circuit, 15 is a signal processing circuit, 16 is a transmitter, 25 is a detection switch (detection means).

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI Technical display location H04Q 9/00 301 H04Q 9/00 301B

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An apparatus for transmitting a plurality of types of operation command signals including an aerial propagation signal to a receiving device, comprising: an operation switch provided to be externally operable on a main body case; Detecting means exhibiting different detection states according to the main body case being located at different rotational positions, and the operation preliminarily associated with the detection state of the detecting means provided in the main body case in response to turning on of the operation switch A portable transmitting device comprising: a transmitting unit that generates a command signal.