Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Other

Toshiyuki Hoshi

Hironori Kato

Yoshio Sanpei

Ken Mizuta

Hirofumi Okumura

Satoshi Terashita

Toshio Ogawa

Ken Shibazaki

Hiroyuki Sato

Ichiro Tokunaga

Toshiaki Asakura

Hideki Masudaya

Hiroshi Hanzawa

Ryuichiro Yasuhara

Masaaki Tanaka

Ichirou Tokunaga

Takeaki Maehata

Makoto Hirohashi

Hidemitsu Kondo

Houda Morchid

An input device including a rotatable input unit by which it is possible to perform a plurality of types of operations is provided. The input device includes an input unit that can rotate about a rotational center shaft; an electrostatic sensor provided around the input unit; and an operation position detecting unit configured to detect, based on an output of the electrostatic sensor, a position of an operational input that is performed on the input unit or around the input unit.

Input device

A rotary connector includes a case including a housing space and fixed to a vehicle body that includes a steering wheel including a steering-side electric component, a rotor that is rotatable around a rotational axis relative to the case, a first connector provided on the rotor and electrically connected to the steering-side electric component, a second connector provided on the case and electrically connected to a vehicle-side electric component in the vehicle body, a flexible cable that is provided in a wound state in the housing space of the case and electrically connects the first connector to the second connector, and a controller that is disposed between the first connector and the flexible cable and performs a predetermined process on an electric signal transmitted between the first connector and the flexible cable. The controller is configured to rotate together with the rotor.

Rotary connector

The rotary connector comprises a stationary housinghaving a cylindrical portiontherein, a movable housinghaving a cylindrical portiontherein provided on the stationary housing so as to be rotatable relatively thereto, and a flexible cableaccommodated within a housing sectionformed between the stationary housing and the movable housing, in which the rotary connector further includes temperature detection meansfor detecting the temperature of the flexible cable in a state of the temperature detection means being exposed within the housing section.

Rotary connector that prevents excessive temperature increase generated in a flexible cable

The rotary connector comprises a stationary housing having a cylindrical portion therein, a movable housing having a cylindrical portion therein provided on the stationary housing so as to be rotatable relatively thereto, and a flexible cable accommodated within a housing section formed between the stationary housing and the movable housing, in which the rotary connector further includes temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the flexible cable in a state of the temperature detection means being exposed within the housing section.

The switch input processing module has: a control unit; a first external connection terminal to which either an analog signal of an analog signal system or a serial signal of a serial signal system is supplied; an analog signal transmission and serial signal transmission line which is disposed between the first external connection terminal and the control unit; and a second external connection terminal to which a determination signal indicating that either the analog signal system or the serial signal system is connected to the first external connection terminal is supplied. When the control unit determines that the determination signal indicates connection of the serial signal system, the control unit makes the serial signal transmission line conductive. When the control unit determines that the determination signal indicates connection of the analog signal system, the control unit makes the serial signal transmission line nonconductive.

Switch input processing module for switching signal transmission lines to transmit different types of signals

It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control system for a vehicle wherein the contents of control are changed depending on the distance between the vehicle and a portable transmitter, for example with a locking command signal provided from the portable transmitter in a vehicle invisible state, a window is not closed. According to the present invention, for achieving the above-mentioned object, the portable transmitter transmits both first and second transmission signals together, and when a receiver has received at least the first transmission signal, a control circuit section outputs a first control signal and at this time both a first device (locking/unlocking mechanism) and a second device (window opening/closing mechanism) are operated, while when the receiver has received only the second transmission signal, the control circuit section outputs a second control signal and at this time only the first device is controlled.

Remote control system for a vehicle

A rotational angle detecting apparatus having a rotation detector that outputs, as a rotor coupled to a rotating member rotates, first and second detection signals, which have predetermined amplitudes, the same cycle, and a phase difference of a quarter wavelength, a memory for storing the first and second detection signals, and a control unit. The control unit detects the rotational angle of the rotating member by averaging the amplitudes of the first and second detection signals according to the area in which the first detection signal lies.

Apparatus for detecting rotational angle by employing two or more detection signals based on rotational angle and rotational direction of rotating member

A low power consumption type automobile-mounted controller capable of switching so as not to continue power consumption of the automobile-mounted power source when the automobile has not been used over a long term. The low power consumption type automobile-mounted controller comprises: a microcontroller unit having a power supply port, a voltage detection port, a control port, a communication port, and an input port; a first power supply path connected to the automobile-mounted power source through a change-over switch for turning ON/OFF the power supply port; a second power supply path for connecting the power supply port to the automobile-mounted power source through a controllable switch; and power open/close command means for turning ON/OFF the controllable switch in response to a power close command signal or a power open command signal, and operates in such a manner that on receipt of the power open command signal while the first power supply path is intercepted by turning OFF the change-over switch, the power open/close command means turns OFF the controllable switch to intercept the second power supply path.

Low power consumption type automobile-mounted controller

A rotation angular speed detection apparatus that accurately detects a low rotation angular speed of a rotating body includes: a receiving part for receiving rotation angles at predetermined time intervals from a rotation angle sensor that detects rotation angles of a rotating body; a storage part for storing received rotation angles; and a control part. When the difference between a first arbitrary angle stored and a second angle stored before the first angle is less than a predetermined value, the control part determines, from the stored rotation angles, a third angle in which a difference between the first angle and the third angle is more than the predetermined value, and the control part divides the difference between the first angle and the third angle by the time required from storing of the third angle to storing of the first angle to detect a rotation angular speed.

Apparatus and method for detecting rotation angular speed and automobile using the apparatus

A rotational angle detecting device includes a rotation detecting section for outputting sinusoidal first and second detection signals as a result of the rotation of a rotor connected to a rotary member, a storage section for updating and storing the first and second detection signals, and a controlling section. The first and second detection signals have constant amplitudes, have the same periods, and have wavelengths which are output of phase. The controlling section compares the amplitude values of most recent first and second detection signals output from the rotation detecting section, and determines whether or not the amplitude values fall within proper ranges. When the controlling section determines that they fall within the proper ranges, a piece of detection information which is created based on the most recent first and second detection signals is supplied to a controller. On the other hand, when the controlling section determines that they do not fall within the proper ranges, the controlling section destroys the most recent first and second detection signals, and does not supply detection information to the controller. The invention provides a rotational angle detecting device for performing required controlling operations using detection signals output from the rotational detecting section which have been determined as being proper detection signals.

Device for detecting the rotational angle of a rotary member

It is an object to provide structure for mounting stoke switches, easy to be assembled, capable of exchangeably mounting stoke switches having the same function or different functions to a steering column to enable them to be exchanged. The first and second stoke switches have proximal portions capable of being mounted to a steering column by extracting and inserting, and operating levers extending from the proximal portions respectively, and there are provided connector units, which are made connectable to connector units provided on the lateral sides of the steering column in such a manner that when the first and second stoke switches are extracted from and inserted into the steering column, the connector units on the steering column side discriminate between the first and second stoke switches.

Structure for mounting stoke switches

The rotation angle detection apparatus comprises: a rotor connected to a rotating body, a rotation angle detection unit, a memory unit and a control unit. Control unit detects an amplitude absolute value of a first angle detection signal and amplitude absolute value of a second angle detection signal. Control unit compares detected amplitude absolute value of first angle detection signal and amplitude absolute value of second angle detection signal to determine which is a smaller amplitude absolute value or a larger amplitude absolute value. Control unit calculates a basic rotation angle of the rotating body based on an arctangent angle of a quotient value obtained by dividing the smaller amplitude absolute value by the larger amplitude absolute value. Control unit converts the basic rotation angle to a different angle value for each of a plurality of angle processing cases, and the rotation angle of the rotating body is detected.

ROTATION ANGLE DETECTION APPARATUS FOR CALCULATING A ROTATION ANGLE BY ATTAINING AN ARCTANGENT ANGLE OF A DIVIDEND WHERE A SMALL AMPLITUDE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF TWO SINUSOIDAL WAVE DETECTION SIGNALS HAVING A PHASE DIFFERENCE IS DIVIDED BY A LARGE AMPLITUDE ABSOLUTE VALUE

The motor driving apparatus comprises a plurality of motors for displacing the position of the control object member, semiconductor switch pairs, a plurality of motor driving units for connecting the motors to the power supply and a control unit for ON/OFF controlling the semiconductor switch pairs. The motors form two sets of motors with each set being formed of two motors. One end of the motors and forming each set is connected to the common motor driving unit having the semiconductor switch pair and the other end of the motors and forming each set is connected to the motor driving units having the semiconductor switch pairs in each set. When the motors of each set are driven simultaneously, the control unit turns ON and OFF two semiconductor switch pairs and drives the motors of each set on the time division basis to provide inverse output polarities of the two semiconductor switch pairs connected to the motors of each set. Thereby there is provided a low price motor driving apparatus that has reduced the total number of motor driving units using the motor driving units having the semiconductor switch pairs.

Motor driving apparatus for controlling plurality of motors with less motor driving units than motors

A steering angle detecting mechanism of this invention comprises: a plurality of photocouplers for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel; a timer circuit for setting time; a first power source control unit which is controlled by the set time of the timer circuit and intermittently drives one of the plurality of photocouplers; a second power source control unit for driving the rest of the plurality of photocouplers; a wake-up circuit for generating a wake-up signal when a detection value of the single photocoupler is different from the immediately preceding detection value of the single photocoupler; and a micro control unit which is switched between a sleep mode and a wake-up mode. The micro control unit is switched to the sleep mode when an ignition switch is turned off, and to the wake-up mode for predetermined time when the wake-up signal is supplied, in the sleep mode, the micro control unit intermittently drives the single photocoupler at predetermined intervals and allows the wake-up circuit to generate the wake-up signal on the basis of the detection value of the single photocoupler, and in the wake-up mode, the micro control unit drives the plurality of photocouplers, detects a steering angle on the basis of detection values of the plurality of photocouplers, and stores the detection result.

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi-ken, Japan

Toshiyuki Hoshi