JPS5836742A - Power and signal transmission system of steering operating board - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit an electrical cable for connecting an operating board to a control unit by subjecting the operating board on a steering wheel and the fixed control unit on a car to electromagnetic coupling by means of an electric coil. CONSTITUTION:An operating board 31 is held at rest on a steering wheel 31 via a group of gears 39, 42, 43a, 43b constituting planetary gears irrespective of the rotation of the wheel 31. And, electric coils PTL2 and STL2 are fixed on a supporting plate 39a fixed on a gear 39, and coils PTL1 and STL1 are fixed inside the operating panel 31 facing to said coils. With such constitution, the key operation information of the key operating board 31 is sent to and received by a control unit in the same way as a data transmitting and receiving process among usual telecommunication terminals, and hereby required machine control can be performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for transmitting electrical signals from an operation board mounted in the center of a steering wheel so as to float above the wheel to a fixed control unit on the vehicle.

In a vehicle, the steering wheel is closest to the driver and is also closest to the driver's hands, so in order to improve operability, the operation board equipped with key switches for controlling on-board equipment should be placed in the center of the steering wheel. It is preferable to equip it in the department.

However, because the steering mechanism that transmits the rotation of the wheel to the steering shaft is complex, it is difficult to wire the signal cable that connects the operation board (steering operation board) installed in the center of the steering link wheel and the fixed control unit1. In order to facilitate wiring, it is necessary to further install a pipe for wiring and/or a slip ring for connection on the steering mechanism in a manner that does not interfere with the operation of the steering mechanism. These wirings are quite difficult due to the limited space they occupy.

The first object of the present invention is to arrange an operation board in the steering wheel section, and the second object is to omit the electric cable for transmitting and receiving electric signals between the operation board and the on-vehicle fixed control unit. A third purpose is to prevent the structure of the wheel portion from becoming complicated and increasing in volume.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, an operation board on the steering wheel and a fixed control unit on the power line side of the on-board battery are electromagnetically coupled by an electric coil, thereby transmitting electric power and transmitting and receiving electric signals.

In order to confirm the reception process and control the status display on the steering wheel operation board, it is preferable that a code indicating reception, reception display instructions, etc. is transmitted from the on-vehicle fixed control unit to the steering wheel operation board. Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, the steering wheel operating board is provided with a reputation demodulation circuit, and, if necessary, a display means such as a lamp, a light emitting diode, a character display, a two-dimensional graphic display, etc., and/or a notification device such as a speaker. In addition, the transmission control device decodes or reproduces the reception notification code and/or notification instruction code or notification data from the fixed control unit to decode the transmission/reception and activate notification, and the transmission control device decodes or reproduces the reception notification code and/or notification instruction code or notification data from the fixed control unit. + A modulation circuit is provided, and the reception control device controls reception notification and transmission of status notification codes or data as necessary.

This allows key operation information on the steering wheel operation board to be sent to the fixed control unit using digital processing logic without connecting electrical signal cables.
In the preferred embodiment, the operation board and the fixed control unit can perform transmission and reception of electrical signals, notifications, and device control in the same manner as data transmission and reception processing between normal telecommunication terminals.

Other objects and features of the invention will become clearer in the following description with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

In this example, the steering wheel operation board includes a constant voltage power supply 70. Microcomputer Units (transmission control device) 80. Key switch 90, FSX modulation circuit 100. FSK demodulation circuit 110, electric coil 5TLI for transmission and reception, and electric coil PTL for power reception
It is equipped with I. The fixed control unit on the on-board battery side includes a constant voltage power supply device 120. Microcomputer unit 130, which is a reception control device. FSK modulation circuit 15
0°FSX demodulation circuit 160. Electric coil S for transmitting and receiving
TL2 and electric coil PT L2 for power transmission, microcomputer unit) 130,
Various devices 140 are connected.

An oscillation/power amplification circuit 1?0 and a constant voltage power supply device 120 are connected to the power supply line VPL of the battery on the vehicle, and an electric coil PTL for power transmission is connected to the output end of the circuit 170.
2 is connected to the output terminal of the FSK modulation circuit 150 and the FSKreqency 5hift Keying)
The input end of the demodulation circuit 160 is connected to the coil 5TL2. The output end of the FSK modulation circuit 100 and the input end of the FSK demodulation circuit 110 are connected to the coil 5TLl. A rectifier constant voltage circuit 70 is connected to the operation board side power line SPL connected to the coil PTLI.

Figure 2a shows a perspective view of the steering wheel, and Figure 2a shows a perspective view of the steering wheel.
Figure b shows a front view.

In FIGS. 2a and 2b, 30 is a steering wheel (handle), and the operation panel 81 of the attitude control device is installed in the center of the steering wheel. switch 3
2a, 88a and 84m are for tilt angle control, 82a is an up switch that corrects the vertical angle upward, 33a is a down switch that corrects downward, and 34a specifies the vertical angle as the upper limit retreat (tilt away) position. At the same time, it is an away switch that returns from the upper limit retracted position to the original operating position. Three switches 32b, 33b, and 34b arranged on the left side of the steering wheel 30 are for controlling the wheel height, 32b is an up switch that instructs to drive the wheel up, and 33b is a down switch that instructs to drive the wheel down. The switch 34b is an away switch that instructs to drive the wheel to the upper limit retracted position and also instructs to drive the wheel to the operating position when the wheel is in the upper limit retracted position.

FIG. 2C is a side view of the operating portion 35 of the steering mechanism. This operation section 35 can be roughly divided into a steering wheel 30. Operation panel 31. It is composed of a steering telescope mechanism 36 and a tilt mechanism 37. FIG. 2d is a sectional view showing a support structure for the steering wheel 30 and the operation panel 31. The support 38 and gear 39 are fixed to the body of the vehicle, and the steering main shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the support 38. The support 41 is connected to the steering wheel 30 and the steering main shaft 40, and is connected to the gear 39.
42 and the connecting member 43 are rotatably supported. The connecting member 43 has gears 39 and 42 at both ends thereof.
It has gears 43a and 43b having the same number of teeth that mesh with the gears 43a and 43b. A printed circuit board 44 including an attitude control circuit and an operation panel 31 are fixed to a gear 42 . In addition, gear 39
and 42 have the same number of teeth. The purpose of this structure is to prevent the operation panel 31 from rotating as the steering wheel 30 rotates. In this embodiment, when the steering wheel 30 is rotated, the support) 41 and The steering main shaft 40 rotates to perform steering operation, but the gear 43a
, 43b and 39.42 have the same number of teeth, so the relative movement amount (angle) between the support 41 and the gear 39 caused by the circular movement of the connecting member 43 due to the rotation of the support 4-1, and the relative movement amount (angle) between the support 41 and the gear 42. The relative movement amounts of are equal, and the gear 42 does not rotate with respect to the gear 39,
As a result, even if the steering wheel 30 rotates, the operation panel 31 does not rotate.

An electric coil PTL2 is attached to a support plate 39a fixed to a gear 39.
, 5TL2 are fixed, and the coils PTLI and 5TLI are connected to the operation panel 31 opposite to the coil 5TL2.
is fixed inside.

FIG. 2e is an enlarged sectional view of the driving portion of the steering telescope mechanism 36, and FIG. 2f is a sectional view thereof taken along the line 2f-lf. The steering telescope mechanism 36 moves the steering wheel 30 forward and backward relative to the driver, and in this embodiment is driven by a motor M7. The main shaft 40 and the shirt 40a are fitted together so that they do not slip in the direction of rotation and are slidable in the direction of the arrow. The guide member 50 on the fixed side is provided with a drive section including a motor M7,
A threaded rod 52 fixed to a movable bracket 51 is driven. The shaft 53 of the motor M7 is connected to a worm shaft 54, and a worm gear 54a formed on the worm shaft 54 meshes with a screw formed on the outer periphery of a nut 55. The nut 55 is screwed together with the threaded rod 52 so that its position is fixed and is rotatable. When the motor M7 rotates, the worm gear 54a rotates to rotate the nut 55 and move the threaded rod 52 forward (or backward) in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the movable side such as the steering wheel 30 moves forward and backward in the axial direction of the main shirt 40, that is, in the direction of the arrow, guided by the guide member 5°. This moves the steering wheel 30 up and down. shirt) 40b has a fixed position, shirt)
40a is shirt) 40b and universal joint 5
6, so that the upper and lower angles can be changed in the direction of arrow B. Reference numeral 57 denotes an arm having one end connected to a position shifted downward from the position of the universal joint 56, which serves as a fulcrum for changing the vertical angle, and the other end connected to a nut 58 on the drive side. The nut 58 is threaded onto a threaded rod 59 that is rotationally driven by a motor M6. Therefore, when the motor M6 rotates, the screw s59 rotates, but the nut 58 does not rotate, so the nut 58 moves in the axial direction (in the direction of the arrow) and drives the arm 57, and the movable side moves the universal joint 56. Rotates around the center. In addition, 60a, 60b
is a limit switch that detects the upper limit position on the movable side.

FIG. 3a shows the configuration of the operation board mounted on the operation panel 31. In this case, the key switch 9 shown in FIG.
0 is a key manual part 91 which is a combination of a momentary key switch and a key encoder that is closed only while the key is pressed in Fig. 3a; an operation switch that closes when it is pressed once and opens when it is pressed the next time. and operation switch input sections 92 and 93 consisting of flip-flops for state launch. The FSK modulation circuit 100 includes a pulse oscillator 101. FSK modulator 102. Output cutoff gate 1
03 and transmission driver 104.
The K demodulation circuit 110 includes an amplification/waveform shaping circuit 1111, a noise cutoff circuit 112, and an FSK demodulator 113. The microcomputer unit 80 includes a 1-chip microcomputer CPU, an address latch AD
L and semiconductor read-only ROM, input/output port I10
It is composed of a reset switch and a clock pulse oscillator, and the ROM stores key manual reading program data and transmission control program data for creating and transmitting a transmission code according to a change in the state of the key.

A constant voltage is applied to each of these elements by rectifying the voltage induced in the coil PTLI by alternating current energization of the coil PTL2 by the circuit 170 by the rectifying and constant voltage circuit 70 to make it a constant voltage.

Figure 3b shows the configuration of the fixed control unit.

This fixed control unit also includes an FSK modulation circuit 150 (pulse oscillator 151, FSK modulator 15
2, output gate 153 and transmission driver 154) and an FSX demodulation circuit (amplification/waveform shaping circuit 161, noise cutoff circuit 162 and demodulator 163 at F8).

In this embodiment, a constant speed control device, an air conditioner, and a radio are connected to the microcomputer unit 130 in a relay control mode. Unit 130 R
In addition to the FSK transmission/reception control program data, the OM contains
Control program data for decoding received codes and controlling energization of relays L1 to L6 is stored. The oscillation/power amplification circuit 170 includes an oscillator and a power amplifier, and applies alternating current at a predetermined frequency to the coil PTL2.

The FSK modulation circuit (100
, 150) and the FSK demodulation circuit (110, 160) are shown in FIG. FS with reference to this figure 5
X modulation circuit 100 (500 also operates in the same way) and FSK
The operation of demodulation circuit 110 (160 also operates in the same way) will be explained. First, when the output port P24 of the one-chip microcomputer CPU becomes a high level H, the pulse oscillator 101 is energized and generates a constant frequency pulse B. In this state, when the output P25 is at a high level H, the output C of the modulator 102 becomes a pulse synchronized with the pulse B, and when the output P25 is at a low level L, the output C becomes a frequency-divided pulse of the pulse B.

Therefore, while P25 is at H level, output C becomes pulse B, and while P25 is at L level, it becomes a pulse B divided by s.

This output C is amplified by the driver 104 to generate an electric current
1'L'l. Transmission driver 104 and bone meeting→! Since a coupling capacitor is inserted between the electric coils 5TLI, a bipolar pulse D appears in the electric coil S'T L 1. When a hyperbolic pulse D appears in the electric coil 5TLI, it is amplified by the amplification/waveform shaping circuit 111 via the coupling capacitor and shaped into a positive pulse E, which is then passed through the noise isolation circuit 11.
There, it is further shaped into a predetermined width to widen the high level H width (F), integrated in the demodulation circuit 113 and converted into analog (H), and further binarized to either high level H or low level. The signal becomes an L binary signal ■ and is applied to the input terminal T0. The unit 800 microcomputer CPU outputs the output port P25 for a time T when the transmission bit is H.
During the interval H1, during the next T, this one period 2T is assigned to 1 bit, and when the transmission bit is L, the output P25
is set to L between time H1 and the next stage T, and this one period T is assigned to 1 bit, and when receiving, the input terminal T.
If it is H during T, it will be read as 1 bit L has arrived, and if it is H during \T, it will be read as 1 bit L has arrived. transmission of the microcomputer CPU of the unit 130;
The same applies to received signal processing or decoding.

In this embodiment, the frame structure of the transmitted signal is as shown in Fig. 4a, which includes a 10-bit H mark code indicating the beginning of the frame, a 1-bit mark indicating the start of data, 16-bit data, and an 8-bit CRC check pit. The data bits are further divided into two 8-bit sections A and B, and the A group contains horn energization instruction and radio control data (key switch status notification bit) as shown in Figure 4b. However, in Figure 4C for group B.

As shown, constant speed driving control and air conditioner control data (
key switch status notification bit) is assigned.

Fig. 6a shows the transmission/reception control flow of the microcomputer unit 80 (Fig. 3a) of the operation board (31).With reference to this, the transmission/reception control of the unit 80 will be explained.The CPU of the unit 80 is , initializes the input read registers and input/output ports when it is powered up, and connects Ilo's input port and its own input port P1.
3 to PIO are monitored, and if there is a state change in any of them indicating a closed key or a switch, the input port of Ilo and each bit of the input ports P13 to PIO are set to the input read register, and the contents are sent to the transmission data ( data A plus data B) and CRC check bit BC of the transmitted data
Create C. Then, a predetermined value is set in the counter (program counter) for checking transmission/reception errors, the output port P24 is set to H, and the 2T cycle ( It outputs a pulse of T period (when Pip)=H) or T period (Pip)=H) with one period assigned to one bit. Thereby, the FSK demodulation circuit 1 of the fixed control unit via the electric coils 5TLI and 5TL2
At 60, a bipolar pulse D corresponding to the serial bit array of the transmission frame (Fig. 4a) arrives, which is demodulated and sent to the output port P25 of the CPU of the operation board (Fig. 3a).
A pulse of similar type to that sent out is applied to the input port T0 of the CPU of the fixed control unit (FIG. 3b).

The CPU of the operation board (Fig. 3a)
The timer (program timer)
is turned on, the output port P25 outputs a 14T cycle pulse indicating L. If the time is over, the output will be canceled)
P24. Set both P25 to L, turn on the timer, and wait for the T0 terminal to become H. T before this timer times out. When the terminal becomes H, it counts the H time, determines whether it is H bit or L bit, and stores it in the reception register.
Count up the bit number count register by 1, and do the same with T. This is repeated each time the count register changes from L to H, and when the count register reaches 19, the 12th register of the receive register
Check the contents of the 19th bit (ACK) and if they are all L (reception complete), P24 is set to H again, and P24 is set to H again.
25, mark (10 bits).

Outputs a pulse corresponding to the frame of 1 start bit and 8 consecutive H ACK pits, and then outputs a pulse for a predetermined time P25.
is set to L, and then P24 is set to L.

After that, the terminal T0 is monitored for a predetermined period of time, during which time it becomes H.
Then, write the data to the reception register in the same way as above, decrement the limit counter by 1, read the data, and receive an ACK of 8 bits L (ACK is the reply code, consisting of 8 bits, all bits). When L=O indicates completion of reception, and all pips)) I=1 indicates completion of transmission, reception is considered complete.

If the input terminal T0 does not become H for a predetermined period of time after reception completion (ACK = LX8 bit) is received, the CPU of the operation board
(Figure 3a) returns to key manual reading.

If reception completion (ACK=LX8 bits) is not sent within a predetermined time after transmitting the data frame (FIG. 4a), the limit counter is decremented by 1 and the data frame is transmitted again. When the limit counter reaches zero, it is considered an abnormality, the warning light on the operation board is turned on, and the system returns to manual key reading. ACK indicating completion of reception (=LX
8 bits) After receiving the frame, the input terminal T is further input. When becomes H, data is read, the limit counter is decremented by 1, and when the data is ACK=L
If LX is not 13 bits, the limit counter is 1.
Decrement. When the limit counter becomes zero after receiving the reception end ACK ``0'', an alarm display is set and the process returns to manual key reading.

In manual key reading, the status signal of the input port is read at predetermined intervals and compared with the memory bit of the input register, and if any input is different from the memory pit of the input register, it indicates that there was a key or switch input. , the input status signal is written to the input register to perform the above-mentioned transmission and reception.

Figure 6b shows the microcomputer c of the fixed control unit.
The reception and transmission control flow of pu (iab diagram) is shown. This is the same as the reception/transmission control flow of the operation board's CPU (Figure 3a), but it generates a CRC check bit from the data bits of the received data (Figure 4a) and uses it as a reception BCC.
The point of checking for sending/receiving errors is that the data part of the data frame (Figure 4a) is
The difference is that a reception completion frame converted to bit L (ACKO) is sent, and the received data is converted to a device control code and output to the output port to the device 140.

The microcomputer unit 80 of the operation board (31) also has other display means and notification means.

Connect small devices, etc., and connect the unit 130 as necessary.
A key switch is connected to the CPU of the unit 80 and the CPU of the unit 130 both execute the control flow of FIG. 6a and FIG. 6b by storing a program for bidirectional remote instruction.

Control is possible.

Furthermore, the transmitted and received data frame is not limited to the configuration shown in No. 4a[/, but may have any other desired configuration, such as a variable bit number containing a data number code as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

Furthermore, both the operation board side and the fixed control unit side can have a set of electric coils for power transmission and signal transmission. When doing this, for example, the power transmission wave is set to a low frequency, the signal transmission wave is set to a high frequency, and one of the PTLI and 5TLI is omitted on the operation board side (in Fig. 3a), and the rectifying constant voltage circuit 70 is installed in the remaining coil. and further, if necessary, via a bypass filter,
Connect circuits 104 and 111, omit one of PTL2 and 5TL2 on the fixed control unit side (Fig. 3b), connect oscillation/power amplification circuit 170 to the remaining coil, and further bypass as necessary. through the filter,
Connect circuits 154 and 161. Further, in the above embodiment, the transmitted data is subjected to FSK modulation and demodulation, but other modulations may be used for data communication.

It may also be demodulated.

As described above, according to the present invention, by simply arranging the electric coils on the operation board side and the on-vehicle fixed side, there is no need to connect the power line and the communication line to the operation board. Key or switch operations on the operation board on the steering wheel can be transmitted to a control unit fixed on the vehicle, an operation display panel, etc. The reverse transmission can also be performed if necessary. There is no need to make the area around the steering mechanism particularly complicated or large in volume.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a general configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2a is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a steering wheel operation board in an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2b is a plan view, and Fig. 2C 2d is a longitudinal sectional view of the steering system section, 2d is a longitudinal sectional view of the operation board mounting section, 2e is an enlarged sectional view of the wheel vertical drive mechanism, and 2f is a line l [f - [1f of FIG. 2e] A cross-sectional view, Figure 3a is a block diagram showing details of the configuration of the steering wheel operation board, Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view.
4A is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the on-board battery-side fixed control unit, FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a transmission signal frame, FIGS. 4B and 4. FIG. c is a plan view showing the contents of transmission data, and FIG. 5 is a time chart showing input and output signals of the FSX modulation circuit and demodulation circuit. FIG. 6a is a flowchart showing the transmission/reception control operation of the microcomputer unit 80 shown in FIG. 3a, and FIG.
The microcomputer unit shown in Figure 3b)13
．． 3 is a flowchart showing the transmission/reception control operation of O. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another structure of the transmitted and received data frame. 30 Steering wheel 31: Control panel (operation board) 32 Near-turn switch 33: Down switch 34 Near-way switch 35 Steering mechanism operating section 36: Steering telescope mechanism 37: Tilt mechanism 38, 41: Support 39
．． 42: Gear 40 Ni steering main shaft 43: Connecting member 44 Ni blind board 45.46: Slip ring 47a, 47b: Compression coil spring 48: Brush
50 Ni guide member 51 Ni Bracket
52: Threaded rod 53: Motor shaft 54: Worm shaft 55.58: Oak) 56: Universal joint 57: Arm 60: Limit switch 80: Microcomputer unit (transmission control device).

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) At least one electric coil for power reception and electric signal transmission is arranged on the steering operation board side, a rectifier constant voltage circuit is connected to it, and this is used as the operation board power supply, and an input key switch is installed on the steering operation board. is equipped with a modulation circuit and a transmission control device to modulate the hood corresponding to the operation of the input key switch and apply it to the electric coil. An electric coil was arranged and an oscillation/power amplification circuit was connected to it, and a demodulation circuit and reception control device were also installed to demodulate the signal induced in the electric coil on the power line side of the onboard battery to support switch operations. Steering operation board signal transmission method that plays the code. (2) The steering operation board further includes a demodulation circuit, and the transmission control device decodes the demodulation hood of this demodulation circuit,
The steering operation board signal transmission system according to claim 1, further comprising a modulation circuit on the power supply line side of the on-board battery, and the receiving control device transmits a code addressed to the steering operation board to the modulation circuit.