Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Kiyotaka Sasanouchi

Kouji Oike

Kiyotaka Uehira

Shinji Hirose

Masaru Shimizu

Susumu Nishimoto

Makoto Inoue

Atsushi Yamashita

Kiyomi Sakamoto

Atsushi Iisaka

Rihito Shoji

Norimitsu Kurihara

Takefumi Inoue

Junichi Yukawa

Takatoshi Ono

Kouichi Santo

Noritaka Ichinomiya

Hiroyuki Kosaka

Tsutomu Maeda

Koji Oike

Yasuhiro Yamashita

Takumi Obayashi

Michiharu Honda

Kenji Niho

A rotation angle detection device includes a lever, a cylindrical part, a magnet, and a magnetic sensing element. The lever includes a base and a shaft projecting in the direction of the rotation axis of the base and integrated with the base. The cylindrical part has a first end close to or in contact with the base, and a second end opposite to the first end and farther from the base than the first end. The shaft is inserted in the cylindrical part and is rotatably supported by the cylindrical part. The magnet is attached to the end of the shaft. The magnetic sensing element faces the magnet with a predetermined gap therebetween.

Rotation angle detection device

A rotation angle detecting device includes a rotating body rotating according to rotation of a vehicle pedal; a magnet attached to the rotating body; a magnetism detection element disposed facing the magnet at a predetermined interval from the magnet; and a first control circuit connected to the magnetism detection element. The center of the magnet is placed at the rotation center of the rotating body. The magnetism detection element detects magnetism of the magnet to output a detection signal. The first control circuit outputs an angle signal corresponding to a rotation angle of the rotating body according to the detection signal, and outputs a switching signal according to the rotation angle of the rotating body. The rotation angle detecting device reliably detects a rotation angle and turns a stop lamp on and off for example with a simple structure.

Rotation angle detecting device

A rotary-angle and rotary-torque sensing device includes a first rotator rotating together with a steering shaft, a second rotator rigidly mounted to the first rotator, a rotary torque sensor for sensing rotary torque generated between the first rotator and the second rotator, a first sensor rotating together with the first rotator, a second sensor rotating together with the second rotator, a rotary angle sensor for sensing rotary angles of the first sensor and the second sensor, and a controller for detecting rotary torque by using the rotary torque sensor and the rotary angle sensor.

Rotary angle and rotary torque sensing device

There is provided a rotary torque detecting device in which a first magnetic body and a second magnetic body are formed in substantially band shapes and third magnetic bodies are formed in substantially rectangular shapes, respectively, by forming the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body in the substantially band shapes and arranging the plurality of substantially rectangular third magnetic bodies at predetermined intervals between the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body, and the magnets. With this structure, in the rotary torque detecting device mainly used for detection of rotary torque of a steering of an automobile, it is possible to reliably detect the rotary torque at low cost.

Rotary torque detecting device

A vehicle switch includes a magnet mounted to an operating unit accommodated in an external packaging such that the operating unit can move linearly. A magnetic detector is placed so as to receive different strength of the magnetism from the magnet in the two cases that the operating unit is at the upper limit position and at the lower limit position. A control circuit coupled to the magnetic detector opens and closes a switching device in response to strength of the detected magnetism.

Vehicle switch

A rotation angle sensor is provided with a shaft portion having a torsion bar, a rotation angle sensing portion for detecting rotation angle of the shaft portion, and a torque sensing portion for detecting angle of torsion of the torsion bar. The rotation angle sensing portion and the torque sensing portion improve their own detecting accuracies by using each other's detecting result, whereby the rotation angle sensor can detect rotation angle and angle of torsion of a multi-turn rotatable body with high accuracy and high resolution.

Rotation angle sensor

Provided is a switch for vehicles, which includes an intermittent driving device connected to a control device which opens and closes a switching device based on the magnitude of the magnetism of a magnet mounted on an operating body. Therefore, the supply of power from a battery to a detection device and the control device is intermittently performed at a predetermined period by the intermittent driving device.

Switch for vehicles

A device for detecting an absolute rotation angle of multiple rotation with a high accuracy and high resolution by using a target connected to the rotation axis and having an outer circumferential surface to which magnetic poles of alternate polarities are magnetized. The device includes: a first rotor holding a target connected to an input axis and having an outer circumferential surface to which magnetic poles of alternate polarities are magnetized at an identical interval and having a multi-rotatable gear; a second rotor connected to the gear of the first rotor, rotated at a low speed by the first rotor, and having a magnet at the center portion; a first detection unit and a second detection unit for detecting the rotation angles of them. With a simple configuration, it is possible to detect an absolution rotation angle with a high accuracy and a high resolution.

Rotation angle detection device and rotation angle correction method

Provided is a switch for vehicles, including a first switching device which performs the electrical connection/disconnection between a battery and a stop lamp and a second switching device connected to a control device which opens and closes the first switching device based on the magnitude of the magnetism of a magnet mounted on an operating body. Various controls such as auto-cruise control and so on as well as the turn on/off of the stop lamp can be simultaneously performed by the one magnet mounted on the operating body of the switch for vehicles.

A vehicle input system is provided which includes: an input unit which accepts an operation instruction for a plurality of pieces of equipment on board an automobile; a control section which, in accordance with an operation instruction accepted by the input unit, transmits a control signal for controlling equipment targeted by the operation instruction; and an information acquisition section which, if at least one of the plurality of pieces of equipment is exchanged and if new equipment is added, then acquires, as control-signal information, information on a control signal for controlling the substituted or added equipment, in which the control section generates the control signal in accordance with the control-signal information acquired by the information acquisition section.

Vehicle input system

The present invention provides a trackball and an in-vehicle device controller using the trackball. The trackball provides a stable operational feel and is easy to operate even in an environment in a vehicle where vibration and movement are present. The trackball includes a ball made of a non-magnetic material and having embedded therein bar members made of a magnetic material and arranged on three axes orthogonal to one another, a case enclosing the ball such that at least an upper portion of the ball is exposed, magnetic members fixed to the case on two axes penetrating through the center of the ball and orthogonal to each other so as to allow magnetic coupling to ends of the bar members, and another magnetic member fixed to the case on an axis penetrating through the center of the ball and orthogonal to the two axes so as to allow magnetic coupling to an end of one of the bar members.

Trackball and in-vehicle device controller using the trackball

Input device has a plurality of dials, a driving portion for moving the plurality of dials, a dial selecting portion and a controller. The dial selecting portion receives an input to make a selection from the plurality of dials. The controller controls the driving portion such that the dial selected by the input supplied to the dial selecting portion is moved to a predetermined position. By virtue of the described construction, a specific dial is moved to the position where it is easy to control. The input device is preferably mounted on a vehicle. A driver is enabled to select a dial desired to be controlled without the need for searching for it through the sense of sight and to control the dial easily.

Input device and automobile vehicle using the same

A torque detector capable of detecting an amount of torque, rotation angle and rotational speed with high resolution. First rotor and second rotor are retained individually in bearings, and they each have a gear on periphery thereof. First magnet and second magnet have pairs of magnetic poles, and disposed to ends of the first rotor and the second rotor respectively. First and second magneto-sensitive elements for detecting magnetic fields produced by the first and the second magnets are placed along an axial direction of the first and the second rotors in a manner to face the first and the second magnets respectively with a predetermined space. An input shaft and an output shaft are in engagement to the first and the second rotors respectively with gears, and the output shaft is connected to the input shaft.

Torque detector

A sensed-pressure-data converter having a circuit for reducing a fluctuation of the output due to a fluctuation of a resistance and a resistance changing characteristic of a pressure sensitive resistance element and for reducing the output offset and offset drift of the pressure sensitive resistance element. The converter of the invention comprises a pressure sensitive resistance element ( ), and a controller ( ). The controller is an electric circuit connected to the pressure sensitive resistance element for detecting the electric characteristic of the element and includes A/D converters ( ), a D/A converter ( ), and a memory ( ). The controller compensates the electric characteristic due to a resistance change of the pressure sensitive resistance element and issues it from the D/A converter ( ). The sensed-pressure-data converter further comprises a temperature sensor connected to the input terminal of the A/D converter in the controller, an adjustment input terminal ( ) for inputting an error between the electric characteristic of the pressure sensitive resistance element and a reference electric characteristic into the input terminal of the A/D converter in the controller, which reduces the output offset and offset drift of the pressure sensitive resistance element.

Sensed-pressure-data converter

The invention is intended to extend the receiving distance in a remote keyless entry system for automobile, and minimize the direction limitations. To achieve the object, the invention comprises a column combination switch main body (,) having a light control switch unit (,) and a wiper control switch unit (,), and also includes receiving means for receiving signals from a transmitter main body (,) of a remote keyless entry system, thereby constituting a column combination switch for automobile incorporating a remote key less entry system wide in the receiving range.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kiyotaka Sasanouchi