Lever switch, vehicle display control system and vehicle

Abstract

To provide a lever switch that can improve operability in switching the mode of a vehicular light, and to provide a display control system for a vehicle and a vehicle.SOLUTION: A lever switch allows an occupant to switch the mode of a light of a vehicle 12 by touching a touch sensor 32 and eliminates the need of rotating a wrist as compared when switching the mode by rotating a wrist toward a back side from a near side of the occupant while gripping the lever switch, as a comparative example, thereby improving the operability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lever switch, a vehicle display control system, and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to a vehicle light switch that is made up of a combination switch that can switch the mode of a light that illuminates the outside.

[0003] In general, a vehicle light switch is disposed forward of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is provided at the tip of a turn lever (directional indicator) that is operated before changing the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the position of the light switch can be changed by rotating the light switch approximately along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Examples of light switch positions include OFF, AUTO, SMALL, HEAD LIGHT, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] WO2019 / 194212 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, the vehicle light switch (lever switch) is positioned away from the steering wheel to prevent interference with the hands when operating the steering wheel, but the further away it is from the steering wheel, the more difficult it is for the fingers to reach it.

[0006] In addition, since a vehicle light switch has multiple positions and multiple functions, its outer diameter (thickness) is made larger than when it has only a single function. When the outer diameter of a vehicle light switch is larger, it becomes necessary to position a finger at a position that is farther away from the steering wheel, making it even more difficult for the finger to reach the switch.

[0007] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever switch, a vehicle display control system, and a vehicle that can improve the operability of switching vehicle light modes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The lever switch according to the invention described in claim 1 comprises a lever switch body disposed forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from a steering wheel for steering the vehicle, and a light switch provided on the lever switch body, which is capable of switching the vehicle light mode by contact with the lever switch body by a vehicle occupant without moving the lever switch body. and including a touch sensor capable of detecting contact by an occupant. A switching unit; and an authorization switch that authorizes detection by the touch sensor, the touch sensor being provided on one side of the lever switch body, the lever switch body being formed with a recess that is recessed from the one side of the lever switch body toward the other side of the lever switch body that is located on the opposite side to the touch sensor, and the authorization switch being provided within the recess. .

[0009] That is, in the present invention, the occupant can switch the light mode by touching the switching portion, so there is no need to move the lever switch body. As a comparative example, when switching the light mode by rotating the lever switch body, it is necessary to rotate (twist) the wrist in response to the rotation of the lever switch body. In contrast, in the present invention, since there is no need to rotate the lever switch body, there is no need to rotate the wrist, and operability can be improved.

[0011] In addition, in the present invention The switching unit includes a touch sensor, and the touch sensor can detect the touch of an occupant. In comparison with a comparative example in which the touch of an occupant is detected by pressing a button or the like, the present invention does not require extra force, and accordingly, operability is improved in switching the light mode. Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing an authorization switch that permits detection by the touch sensor, it is possible to prevent detection by the touch sensor when an occupant accidentally touches the touch sensor, thereby making it possible to further suppress erroneous operation when the occupant accidentally touches the touch sensor. Furthermore, in the present invention, a touch sensor is provided on one side of the lever switch body, and an permission switch is provided on the other side of the lever switch body opposite to the touch sensor, and is set so that detection by the touch sensor is permitted when the occupant touches the permission switch. In other words, even if the passenger touches the touch sensor without touching the permission switch, the touch sensor will not detect the touch. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous operation when the user touches the switch. In addition, in the present invention, a recess is formed in the lever switch body recessed from one side surface to the other side surface of the lever switch body, and the permission switch is provided in the recess. Therefore, in the present invention, by touching the lever switch body with a fingertip, it is possible to confirm the position of the permission switch through the recess.

[0012] Claim 2 The lever switch according to the invention described in claim 1 In the lever switch according to the invention described above, the switching portion enables the mode to be switched depending on a tracing direction on the touch sensor.

[0013] Claim 2 In the lever switch according to the invention described in the above, the switching unit enables the light mode to be switched depending on the tracing direction on the touch sensor, so that the light mode is not switched by simply touching the touch sensor. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous operation when the touch sensor is touched by mistake.

[0016] Claim 3 The lever switch according to the invention described in claim 1 In the lever switch according to the invention described above, detection by the touch sensor is permitted when an occupant touches the permission switch and the touch sensor.

[0017] Claim 3 In the lever switch according to the invention described in the above, when an occupant touches the permission switch and the touch sensor, detection by the touch sensor is permitted. Therefore, for example, even if an occupant touches the touch sensor without touching the permission switch, detection by the touch sensor is not performed. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to further suppress erroneous operation in the case where an occupant touches the touch sensor by mistake.

[0023] Claim 4 In the lever switch according to the invention described above, in the lever switch according to the invention described in claim 1, the lever switch body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0024] Claim 4 In the lever switch according to the invention described above, the lever switch body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, so that the upper end of the lever switch body is formed in a flat shape along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction and the vehicle width direction.

[0025] For example, when the lever switch body is formed in a cylindrical shape, the upper end of the lever switch body is formed in a line along the vehicle width direction, and therefore, when an occupant tries to touch the upper end of the lever switch body, the upper end will be located forward in the vehicle front-rear direction compared to when the lever switch body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0026] In contrast, in the present invention, by forming the lever switch body into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the upper end of the lever switch body can be located on the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, that is, on the steering wheel side (passenger side), compared to when the lever switch body is formed into a cylindrical shape. Therefore, in the present invention, it is easier to reach with your fingers when switching the vehicle light mode, and this makes it possible to further improve operability.

[0027] Claim 5 The lever switch according to the invention described in claim 4 In the lever switch according to the invention described above, the lever switch body is provided at the tip of a turn lever which is displaced from a neutral position to a command position by a vehicle occupant when changing the traveling direction of a traveling vehicle.

[0028] Claim 5 In the lever switch according to the invention described in the above, the lever switch body is provided at the tip of the turn lever. In the present invention, the lever switch body can be easily reached by a finger, which improves operability, and therefore the effect obtained from the lever switch body can be enjoyed even when changing the direction of travel of a traveling vehicle.

[0029] Claim 6 The vehicle display control system according to the invention described in claims 1 to 5 is 5The vehicle light control device includes the lever switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a display unit that displays a vehicle light mode, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display an image corresponding to the mode.

[0030] Claim 6 The vehicle display control system according to the present invention includes a lever switch, a display unit, and a display control unit. The vehicle light mode selected by the lever switch is displayed on the display unit by the display control unit as an image corresponding to the selected mode. In other words, in the present invention, the vehicle light mode can be confirmed by looking at the image on the display unit.

[0031] Claim 7 The vehicle according to the invention described in claim 6 The vehicle display control system is provided with the display control system described above.

[0032] Claim 7 In the vehicle according to the invention described above, the vehicle light mode can be switched by touching the detection unit, and after switching, an image corresponding to the selected mode is displayed on the display unit by the display control unit. Effect of the Invention

[0033] As described above, with the lever switch, the vehicle display control system, and the vehicle according to the present invention, the operability of switching the vehicle light mode can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a front passenger compartment of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from diagonally rear right and above. [Figure 2A] 1 is a front view showing a display unit of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] 1 is a perspective view of a lever switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from diagonally rear right and above; [Figure 3A] 1 is a perspective view of a lever switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from diagonally rear right and above; [Figure 3B] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a main part of a lever switch according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from above. [Figure 4] 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the vehicle display control system according to the embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a display control device that constitutes a part of a vehicle display control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a server of a display control device that constitutes a part of the vehicle display control system according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in the vehicle display control system in the present embodiment. [Figure 8A] 4 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the lever switch according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8B] FIG. 4 is a right side view for explaining the operation of the lever switch according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a lever switch according to a comparative example. [Figure 10A] 11 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the lever switch according to the comparative example. FIG. [Figure 10B] FIG. 11 is a right side view for explaining the operation of the lever switch according to the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] A vehicle 12 to which a vehicle display control system 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow FR shown as appropriate in the following drawings indicates the forward direction in the vehicle longitudinal direction (the direction in which the occupants face), the arrow UP indicates the upward direction in the vehicle vertical direction, and the arrow OUT indicates the outward direction in the vehicle width direction. In the following description, when the directions of front-rear, up-down, and left-right are simply used, they refer to front-rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, up-down in the vehicle vertical direction, and left-right in the vehicle width direction when facing the vehicle's traveling direction, unless otherwise specified.

[0036] <Configuration of vehicle display control system> First, the configuration of the main parts of the vehicle 12 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0037] 1, an instrument panel 14 is provided at the front of a passenger compartment 13 of a vehicle 12. A windshield glass 18 is provided at the front end of the instrument panel 14, and the windshield glass 18 extends in the vertical direction and the width direction of the vehicle to separate the inside of the passenger compartment 13 from the outside of the passenger compartment.

[0038] The windshield glass 18 is provided with a display unit 20. The display unit 20 is configured with a projection surface onto which an image is projected by a head-up display (HUD) device 22 (see FIG. 2). The HUD device 22 is provided within the instrument panel 14, and is configured so that an image is projected from the HUD device 22 onto the display unit 20 of the windshield glass 18.

[0039] A display unit 24 is provided rearward and downward of the display unit 20. The display unit 24 displays information on a meter 26. The meter 26 is located in front of the driver's seat on the instrument panel 14, and the display units 20 and 24 are provided at positions that are visible to passengers. Note that the HUD device 22 and the display unit 20 are not necessarily required.

[0040] Meanwhile, the instrument panel 14 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a through hole 28 is formed on the right side of the instrument panel 14. A steering column (not shown) extends through this through hole 28 into the interior of the passenger compartment 13. The steering column is disposed so as to incline upward as it approaches the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a steering wheel 16 is provided at the tip of the steering column. As an example, in this embodiment, a right-hand drive vehicle in which the steering wheel 16 is provided on the right side, and the driver's seat is located on the right side of the vehicle.

[0041] Here, a wiper switch lever (not shown) is provided on the left side of the steering column, further forward in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction than the steering wheel 16, and a turn lever 30, generally known as a blinker, is provided on the right side of the steering column.

[0042] The outer periphery of the steering column is covered by a column cover 31, and the wiper switch lever and the turn lever 30 are exposed to the inside of the vehicle interior 13 through a through hole 35 formed in the column cover 31.

[0043] For example, the wiper switch lever is provided with a wiper switch and a washer switch, and when the wiper switch is lowered by one step, the wiper switch is turned ON, and when the wiper switch is lowered by another step, the wiping speed of the wipers increases. When the occupant pulls the wiper switch toward the driver, the washer switch is turned ON, and washer fluid is sprayed onto the windshield glass 18.

[0044] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the turn lever 30 is rotated upward (in the direction of arrow A) around the steering column side (not shown), the front and rear turn signals (not shown) arranged on the left side in the width direction of the vehicle 12 flash.

[0045] Furthermore, when the turn lever 30 is rotated downward (in the direction of arrow B) around the steering column, the front and rear turn signals (not shown) disposed on the right side in the width direction of the vehicle 12 flash.

[0046] Furthermore, when the turn lever 30 is pulled toward the front (in the direction of arrow C) starting from the steering column side, the headlights (not shown) are flashed, and when the turn lever 30 is pushed toward the rear (in the direction of arrow D), the headlights are set to full beam.

[0047] (Lever switch) Here, the lever switch (lever switch body) 10 will be described.

[0048] A lever switch 10 is provided on a tip portion 30A of the turn lever 30. When the lever switch 10 is in an ON state, the light can be switched ON and OFF (described later).

[0049] 2A and 2B, in this embodiment, a touch sensor (switching unit) 32 is provided on the front surface (one side surface) 10A of the lever switch 10. The touch sensor 32 is, for example, of a capacitance type, has a substantially rectangular shape, and is disposed with its longitudinal direction extending in the up-down direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lever switch 10. When an occupant performs a tracing operation on the touch sensor 32 along the longitudinal direction (a predetermined direction) of the touch sensor 32, the light mode can be switched.

[0050] Examples of the light modes include HEAD LIGHT, SMALL LIGHT, AUTO, and OFF. As shown in Fig. 2A, for example, the light mode settings are HEAD LIGHT34, SMALL LIGHT36, AUTO38, and OFF40, from the top. HEAD LIGHT34 and SMALL LIGHT36 are indicated by marks, and AUTO38 and OFF40 are indicated by letters.

[0051] Generally, when the light mode is switched to "AUTO", the low beam and position lights (so-called small lamps) are turned on or off depending on the illuminance outside the vehicle. In addition, in "SMALL LIGHT", the low beam is turned off and the position lights are turned on. Furthermore, in "HEAD LIGHT", the low beam and position lights are turned on.

[0052] 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the turn lever 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a recess 42 that is recessed toward the front surface (one side surface) 10B of the lever switch 10 is formed on the back surface (other side surface) 10B of the lever switch 10. For example, in this embodiment, the turn lever 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross section cut along a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction with an opening toward the front of the vehicle.

[0053] In the recess 42, a permission switch 44 is provided on the rear surface 10B side opposite the touch sensor 32, and a guide surface 42A is provided on the rear side of the permission switch 44 (on the column cover 31 side shown in FIG. 1).

[0054] The permission switch 44 is, for example, a so-called capacitance type touch sensor. By touching the permission switch 44, detection by the touch sensor 32 provided on the front surface 10A of the lever switch 10 is permitted.

[0055] For this reason, when touching the touch sensor 32, it is necessary to touch the permission switch 44. However, it is not necessarily necessary to touch the touch sensor 32 and the permission switch 44 at the same time. For example, even if the timing of touching the touch sensor 32 and the permission switch 44 differs, it may be set so that the light mode can be switched within a preset predetermined time.

[0056] Then, in a state where the touch sensor 32 and the permission switch 44 are in contact with each other, the occupant can perform the tracing operation on the touch sensor 32 to switch the light mode.

[0057] As described above, the light mode settings are HEAD LIGHT 34, SMALL LIGHT 36, AUTO 38, and OFF 40 (see FIG. 2A) from the top. Therefore, the mode can be switched depending on the tracing direction.

[0058] 4, for example, on the display unit 24 displayed on the meter 26, tracing the touch sensor 32 in an upward direction based on the current mode (display A) raises the position (display B). On the other hand, tracing the touch sensor 32 in a downward direction based on the current mode (display A) lowers the position (display C). Then, when a preset time has elapsed with the mode switched, the display disappears (display D).

[0059] (Configuration of a vehicle display control system) As shown in FIG. 5, a vehicle display control system 50 of this embodiment includes a display control device 52.

[0060] The display control device 52 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 54, and the ECU 54 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: Processor) 56, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 58, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 60, a storage 62, and an input / output interface 64. Each component is connected to each other via an internal bus 66 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0061] The CPU 56 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 56 reads a program from the ROM 58 or the storage 62, and executes the program using the RAM 60 as a working area. The CPU 56 also controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing according to the program recorded in the ROM 58 or the storage 62.

[0062] The ROM 58 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 60 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 62 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and is a non-temporary recording medium that stores various programs including an operating system and various data. In this embodiment, the ROM 58 or the storage 62 stores a display program for performing display processing, etc. In addition, various input / output devices are connected to the input / output interface 64.

[0063] Here, the ECU 54 is electrically connected to the touch sensor 32, the permission switch 44, the HUD device 22, and the meter 26, and when an occupant touches the touch sensor 32 or the permission switch 44, the touch is detected by the touch sensor 32. This enables the display units 20, 24 to display the current light mode.

[0064] (Functional configuration of the display control device) The display control device (display control unit) 52 shown in Fig. 5 realizes various functions using the above hardware resources. The functional configuration realized by the display control device 52 will be described with reference to Fig. 6.

[0065] 6, the display control device 52 includes, as functional components, a first detection unit 70, a second detection unit 72, a switching unit 74, and display units 20 and 24. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 56 of the ECU 54 reading and executing a program.

[0066] The first detection unit 70 detects that the occupant has touched the touch sensor 32, and the second detection unit 72 detects that the occupant has touched the permission switch 44. In addition, the switching unit 74 switches the light mode by a tracing operation on the touch sensor 32. Meanwhile, the display unit 20 projects and displays the light mode on the windshield glass 18, and the display unit 24 displays the light mode on the meter 26.

[0067] <Actions and Effects of the Vehicle Display Control System> Next, the operation and effects of the vehicle display control system according to this embodiment will be described.

[0068] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of display processing by the display control device 52. This display processing is executed by the CPU 56 of the ECU 54 shown in Fig. 5 reading a program from the ROM 58 or the storage 62, expanding it in the RAM 60, and executing it. Hereinafter, the flow of the display processing by the display control device 52 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and according to the flowchart shown in Fig. 7.

[0069] 7, in step S102, the CPU 56 determines whether or not an input has been made to the touch sensor 32 by a touch by an occupant or the like. Note that in step S102, this process is repeated until an input is made to the touch sensor 32.

[0070] Next, when the CPU 56 determines in step S102 that an input has been made to the touch sensor 32 (step S102: Y), the CPU 56 proceeds to the process of step S104, and determines in step S104 whether or not an input has been made to the permission switch 44 by touching by an occupant or the like. Note that in step S104, this process is repeated until an input is made to the permission switch 44. Also, the processes of steps S102 and S104 may be reversed.

[0071] Then, when the CPU 58 determines in step S104 that an input has been made to the permission switch 44 (step S104: Y), the process proceeds to step S106, and in step S106, the current light mode is displayed on the display unit 20 and the display unit 24.

[0072] Next, in step S108, the CPU 56 determines whether or not a tracing operation has been performed on the touch sensor 32. When the CPU 56 determines in step S108 that a tracing operation has been performed on the touch sensor 32 (step S108: N), the CPU 56 proceeds to processing in step S110. In step S110, the CPU 56 switches the light mode, and proceeds to processing in step S106.

[0073] On the other hand, when the CPU 56 determines in step S108 that the tracing operation is not being performed on the touch sensor 32 (or that the tracing operation has ended) (step S108: Y), the process proceeds to step S112. Then, in step S112, the CPU 56 makes the display of the light mode invisible on the display unit 20 and the display unit 24, and the flow ends.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, the light mode of the vehicle 12 can be switched by touching the touch sensor 32.

[0075] As a comparative example, when rotating a cylindrical lever switch 100 in the direction of the arrow to switch the light mode of a vehicle 102 as shown in FIG. 9, the occupant must rotate his / her wrist while holding the lever switch 100 from the front side of the occupant (the side toward the steering wheel 104) to the rear side (the direction away from the steering wheel 104) as shown in FIG. 10A.

[0076] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, by touching the touch sensor 32, it is possible to switch the light mode of the vehicle 12 without moving the lever switch 10, so there is no need to rotate the wrist as in the comparative example, improving operability.

[0077] In addition, in this embodiment, since the light mode of the vehicle 12 can be switched by touching the touch sensor 32, it is not necessary to apply extra force compared to pressing a button or the like (not shown), and this improves operability in switching the light mode of the vehicle 12. However, it goes without saying that a button or the like may be used instead of the touch sensor 32, i.e., the permission switch 44 configured with a so-called touch sensor.

[0078] However, if the light mode of the vehicle 12 can be switched by touching the touch sensor 32, there is a concern that the touch sensor 32 may be accidentally touched. For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the mode can be switched by tracing the touch sensor 32 (see Fig. 3A) in a predetermined direction.

[0079] In this case, the light mode of the vehicle 12 is not changed unless a tracing operation is performed, so that the light mode of the vehicle 12 is not changed automatically even if the touch sensor 32 is accidentally touched. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress erroneous operation when the touch sensor 32 is accidentally touched.

[0080] 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, a touch sensor 32 is provided on the front surface 10A of the lever switch 10, and a permission switch 44 is provided on the rear surface 10B of the lever switch 10, which is located on the opposite side to the touch sensor 32. The permission switch 44 is set to permit detection by the touch sensor 32 when touched by an occupant.

[0081] In other words, even if an occupant touches the touch sensor 32 in a state in which detection by the touch sensor 32 is not permitted by the permission switch 44, detection by the touch sensor 32 is not performed. For this reason, in this embodiment, the light mode of the vehicle 12 cannot be switched simply by touching the touch sensor 32. This makes it possible to further suppress erroneous operation in the case where the touch sensor 32 is touched by mistake. Note that this permission switch 44 is not necessarily required.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lever switch 10 is formed with a recess 42 recessed from the rear surface 10B side toward the front surface 10A side of the lever switch 10. The permission switch 44 is provided within the recess 42. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to confirm the position of the permission switch 44 via the recess 42 by touching the lever switch 10 with a fingertip.

[0083] Note that since the recess 42 only needs to be formed in at least the lever switch 10, the general parts of the turn lever 30 other than the lever switch 10 may be substantially rectangular parallelepiped shaped. In this embodiment, a guide surface 42A is provided within the recess 42. This guides the fingertip of the occupant and makes it easier to confirm the position of the permission switch 44, but the guide surface 42A is not necessarily required. Furthermore, the recess 42 is not necessarily required.

[0084] In this embodiment, the lever switch 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Therefore, the upper end 10C of the lever switch 10 is formed in a planar shape along the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction. Note that the "planar shape" here does not necessarily have to be a flat surface, and may be a gently curved surface with a small curvature.

[0085] 10B, when the lever switch 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the upper end 100A of the lever switch 100 is arranged in a line along the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when an occupant tries to touch the upper end 100A of the lever switch 100, the upper end 100A is located further forward in the vehicle front-rear direction than when the lever switch 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in FIG.

[0086] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, by forming the lever switch 10 into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the upper end 10C of the lever switch 10 can be disposed on the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, that is, on the steering wheel 16 side, compared to when the lever switch 10 is formed into a cylindrical shape. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for fingers to reach when switching the light mode of the vehicle 12, further improving operability.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the lever switch 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape, if the outer diameter (thickness) is large, the depth in the front-rear direction of the vehicle also becomes large, making it even more difficult for a finger to reach it.

[0088] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the lever switch 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, so that the plate thickness of the lever switch 10 can be made thin while ensuring rigidity, making it easier for fingers to reach.

[0089] Furthermore, since the lever switch 10 is provided at the tip 30A of the turn lever 30, if it is possible to make the lever switch 10 easier to reach with the fingers and further improve operability, the same effect can be enjoyed when changing the direction of travel of a moving vehicle.

[0090] Moreover, the vehicle display control system 50 in this embodiment includes the lever switch 10, the switching unit 74, the display units 20, 24, and the display control device 52. Images corresponding to the light mode of the vehicle 12 switched by operating the lever switch 10 are displayed on the display units 20, 24, respectively, by the display control device 52. Therefore, the light mode of the vehicle 12 can be confirmed by looking at the images on the display units 20, 24.

[0091] In addition, in the vehicle 12 of this embodiment, by touching the touch sensor 32 and the permission switch 44, the first detection unit 70 and the second detection unit 72 detect the contact, respectively, and the switching unit 74 can switch the light mode of the vehicle 12. After the switching unit 74 switches the mode, the display control device 52 displays an image corresponding to the selected mode on the display units 20 and 24, so that the light mode of the vehicle 12 can be confirmed by looking at the image.

[0092] In addition, the images displayed on the displays 20 and 24 disappear immediately, so that the images do not become a hindrance while driving. Note that the displays 20 and 24 are not necessarily required since it is sufficient to be able to check the light mode of the vehicle 12. For example, the displays may be set to be displayed on the front 10A side of the lever switch 10.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be practiced in various modified forms other than the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0094] <Additional Notes> The lever switch according to the present invention may be formed by appropriately combining the following configurations.

[0095] (Configuration 1) The lever switch includes a lever switch body that is positioned forward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle from the steering wheel that steers the vehicle, and a switching portion that is provided on the lever switch body and enables the vehicle's light mode to be switched by contact by an occupant without moving the lever switch body.

[0096] (Configuration 2) The switching unit includes a touch sensor capable of detecting contact by an occupant.

[0097] (Configuration 3) The switching unit enables switching of the mode depending on a tracing direction on the touch sensor.

[0098] (Configuration 4) The touch sensor is provided on one side of the lever switch body, and an authorization switch is provided on the other side of the lever switch body opposite the touch sensor, which authorization switch allows detection by the touch sensor when touched by a passenger.

[0099] (Configuration 5) The lever switch body has a recess that is recessed from the one side surface side to the other side surface side of the lever switch body, and the permission switch is provided within the recess.

[0100] (Configuration 6) The lever switch body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0101] (Configuration 7) The lever switch body is provided at the tip of a turn lever which is displaced from a neutral position to a command position by a driver when changing the traveling direction of a traveling vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 Lever switch (lever switch body) 12 Vehicles 16 Steering Wheel 20 Display section 24 Display 30 Turn lever 32 Touch Sensor 42 Recess 44 Permission Switch 50 Vehicle display control system 52 Display control device (display control unit) 74 Switching section

Claims

1. A lever switch body disposed forward in a vehicle front-rear direction relative to a steering wheel for steering the vehicle; a switching unit that is provided on the lever switch body, that is capable of switching a vehicle light mode by a touch of an occupant without moving the lever switch body, and that includes a touch sensor that can detect the touch of the occupant; an authorization switch that authorizes detection by the touch sensor; Equipped with The touch sensor is provided on one side of the lever switch body, and a recess is formed in the lever switch body that is recessed from the one side of the lever switch body toward the other side of the lever switch body that is located opposite the touch sensor, and the permission switch is provided within the recess.

2. The lever switch according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is capable of switching the mode depending on a tracing direction on the touch sensor.

3. A lever switch as described in claim 1, in which detection by the touch sensor is permitted by an occupant's contact with the permission switch and the touch sensor.

4. A lever switch as described in claim 1, wherein the lever switch body is formed in a rectangular shape.

5. A lever switch as described in claim 4, wherein the lever switch body is provided at the tip of a turn lever that is displaced from a neutral position to an indicated position by a occupant when changing the direction of travel of a traveling vehicle.

6. A lever switch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a display unit for displaying a vehicle light mode; a display control unit that causes an image corresponding to the mode to be displayed on the display unit; A vehicle display control system comprising:

7. A vehicle comprising the vehicle display control system according to claim 6.

Images