Cradle

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle device which can hold portable devices having various sizes with high reliability.SOLUTION: A radar cradle 1 is attached to a vehicle, can hold a portable device at an attitude facing the occupant side, and includes: a holder 15 including a support surface 15s which contacts with the portable device from below; and a pair of guide rollers 130 which contacts with the portable device from the outer periphery side. The pair of guide rollers 130 may change an interval therebetween and each guide roller 130 may change a height from the support surface 15s.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device capable of holding a mobile device such as a smartphone. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various types of in-vehicle devices that have the function of holding a mobile device such as a mobile phone and that can be attached to the dashboard of a vehicle or the like have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). If such in-vehicle devices can be used to set the mobile phone in a position that is easily visible from the driver's side, it would be very convenient as it would be easy to check incoming calls and use a hands-free phone.

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, smartphones, which are defined as multi-function mobile phones, have become mainstream. Applications for smartphones, such as navigation systems, that are specialized for in-vehicle use, are also available. If a smartphone can be placed in a position that is easily visible from the driver's side, it can become a very effective tool for driving assistance.

[0004] The relatively large electrical circuits inside smartphones and the glass plates protecting their display screens are easily broken or cracked when dropped. Furthermore, the display screen of a smartphone is not as large as that of a dedicated in-vehicle navigation device, so it is not ideal for displaying detailed maps. For these reasons, there is a demand for in-vehicle devices that allow smartphones and other portable devices to be positioned for easy viewing by the driver.

[0005] However, conventional in-vehicle devices with a function for holding portable devices have the following problems: While the in-vehicle device of Patent Document 1 can reliably hold portable devices, the portable devices that can be held are predetermined, making it unsuitable for general use and unable to hold a variety of portable devices. In the in-vehicle device of Patent Document 2, the member that clamps the portable device horizontally is movable, allowing the clamping width to be changed, improving versatility, but clamping at only two points raises concerns about the device falling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-186632 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-314089 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and is an invention for providing an in-vehicle device that can hold portable devices of various sizes with high reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides an in-vehicle device that is attached to a vehicle and can hold a portable device in a position facing a passenger, a support portion including a support surface that contacts the portable device to be held from below; a pair of guide portions that contact the portable device to be held from the outer periphery side; the pair of guide portions are capable of changing the distance between the guide portions, Each of the pair of guide portions is located in an in-vehicle device whose height from the support surface is adjustable.

[0009] The in-vehicle device of the present invention includes the support portion that contacts the portable device from below, as well as a pair of guide portions that contact the portable device from the outer periphery. This in-vehicle device can hold the portable device in a holding position where the pair of guide portions sandwich the portable device from both sides in the width direction (horizontal direction) and the support portion supports the portable device from below, or in a holding position where the support portion and each of the guide portions sandwich the portable device in the height direction. In either holding position, the portable device can be supported at at least three points by the support portion and the pair of guide portions, so the portable device can be held more securely than in a case where it is supported at two points.

[0010] In this in-vehicle device, the distance between the pair of guide portions and the other guide portion is changeable, and each guide portion is changeable in height from the support surface. Therefore, the in-vehicle device of the present invention can hold portable devices of various sizes whose horizontal dimension when held falls within a changeable range of the distance between the pair of guide portions, or whose vertical dimension when held falls within a changeable range of the height of each guide portion from the support surface.

[0011] As described above, the in-vehicle device of the present invention is a highly versatile in-vehicle device that can securely hold portable devices of various sizes.

[0012] Mobile devices in the present invention include mobile phones whose main function is calling, multi-function mobile phones known as smartphones, music players, portable game consoles, small tablet PCs, e-book readers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs). In the present invention, the orientation facing the occupant side does not necessarily have to be an orientation facing the occupant, but it is particularly preferable to have an orientation facing the occupant. Furthermore, the "occupant side" may be broadly defined. For example, the rear side of the vehicle may be defined as the occupant side. However, it is particularly preferable for the "occupant side" to be the side of the occupant himself. "Facing" may mean, for example, that a portion of the portable device faces, but it is particularly preferable for the orientation facing the occupant side when the portable device is held to be an orientation in which the display screen of the portable device can be viewed from the occupant side and the operation buttons of the portable device can be operated from the occupant side. The support surface in this invention is a broad concept that includes support surfaces that appear to be supported by a point when viewed visually. In the strict sense, the area of ​​a point is zero, so perfect point contact is not possible when two objects come into contact. The support surface in this invention encompasses such contact surfaces that appear to be in point contact.

[0013] In the in-vehicle device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, an overlapping range is set between the range in which the spacing between the guide portions can be changed and the range in which the height from the support surface to the guide portions can be changed. In this case, any portable device whose short side dimension falls within the overlapping range can be placed either vertically or horizontally.

[0014] Examples of setting patterns for the range of change of the interval between the pair of guide portions and the range of change of the height of each guide portion from the support surface include the following patterns. For example, if the changeable range of the spacing and the changeable range of the height are both set to 8 to 13 cm, a portable device having a vertically long rectangular shape at the front and a width of 8 to 13 cm can be held in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. When the portable device is placed vertically, the spacing between the pair of guide parts can be matched to the width of the portable device. On the other hand, when the portable device is placed horizontally, the height of each guide part can be matched to the width of the portable device. For example, if the changeable range of the spacing is set to 5 to 10 cm while the changeable range of the height is set to a different range such as 10 to 15 cm, the front of the device will have a vertically long rectangular shape, and a portable device with a width of 5 to 15 cm can be held in either portrait or landscape orientation. In the case of a portable device with a width of 5 to 10 cm, the spacing between the pair of guide parts can be adjusted to match the width, and in the case of a portable device with a width of 10 to 15 cm, the height of each guide part can be adjusted to match the width, and the portable device can be placed in landscape orientation. Furthermore, for example, the spacing change range may be set to 7 to 12 cm, while the height change range may be set to 9 to 14 cm, so that part of one range overlaps with the other. In this case, a portable device having a vertically elongated rectangular shape at the front and a width of 7 to 14 cm can be held in at least one of portrait and landscape orientations. A portable device with a width of 9 to 12 cm can be held in both portrait and landscape orientations, while a portable device with a width of 7 to 9 cm can be held in portrait orientation by matching the spacing between the pair of guide parts to the width. Furthermore, a portable device with a width of 12 to 14 cm can be held in landscape orientation by matching the height of each guide part to the width.

[0015] The guide portions provided in the in-vehicle device according to a preferred aspect of the present invention are biased in a direction that narrows the gap between the guide portions and lowers the height from the support surface. In this case, the guide parts can be pressed against the outer periphery of the portable device regardless of whether the portable device is placed vertically or horizontally. When the portable device is placed vertically, the pair of guide parts can hold the portable device by sandwiching it between them. When the portable device is placed horizontally, the guide parts and the support part can hold the portable device by sandwiching it between them.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, each guide portion is attached to a pair of arms that are pivotally supported so as to be rotatable toward both outsides of a housing that forms the main body of the in-vehicle device. By attaching the guide parts to the tips of the arms, it is possible to realize a mechanism for changing the distance between the pair of guide parts and a mechanism for changing the height of each guide part from the support surface, simply by using the pivotal support structure of the arms. The pivotal support of the arms can be realized with a mechanically simple structure, similar to the pivotal support structure of a general pivot door, so the above two mechanisms can be realized with a relatively simple structure.

[0017] The pair of arms may be, for example, a combination of arms having guide portions at their tip ends and connected to each other at their rear ends beyond the rotation center. When the connecting portion of the pair of arms is displaced vertically, the guide portions at the tip ends of each arm are rotated. If the distance from the rotation center to the connecting point is fixed, the arms cannot rotate. Alternatively, the connecting portion may be configured by providing a long hole at the rear end of each arm and inserting a pin or the like through a through-hole formed by the intersection of the long holes of each arm. When the pin is pulled vertically upward, each arm is rotated so as to narrow the gap between the guide portions. When the pin is pushed downward, each arm is rotated so as to widen the gap between the guide portions. The pin may also be suspended by a coil spring or the like. In this case, each arm can be biased so as to narrow the gap between the guide portions. On the other hand, the pair of arms may be configured so that each arm can pivotally move independently. Such a configuration eliminates the need for a structure connecting the pair of arms to each other, and also eliminates the need for space to accommodate such a connecting structure. If the pair of arms are not connected to each other and are arranged with a gap between them, an electronic component can be placed in the gap. In particular, a configuration is preferably adopted in which the pair of arms that are arranged to pivotally move toward both sides of the housing are each provided with the guide portion. In particular, a configuration is preferably adopted in which the housing has a hollow structure capable of accommodating electronic components, and has a pair of mounting portions that support each pivot arm, and the mounting portions are arranged outside the electronic components.

[0018] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, at least one of the pair of guide portions in the in-vehicle device is attached to an arm that is pivotally supported by a housing that forms a main body of the in-vehicle device, and The distance between the arm and the other guide portion and the height from the support surface are changed in accordance with the rotation of the arm.

[0019] A housing constituting an in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which a front member and a rear member are separated, and the members are fixed to each other by a plurality of fixing screws that penetrate the member in the separating direction, The arm is arranged to rotate around one of the plurality of fixing screws.

[0020] By using the fixing screws of the housing to support the arm, the structural strength of the support structure can be improved. The strength around the fixing screws is essential to ensure the strength of the housing. By utilizing the strength around the fixing screws, the strength of the arm support structure can be ensured without incurring significant costs.

[0021] The housing constituting the in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a hollow structure capable of accommodating an electronic circuit, and has a pair of mounting portions for supporting each arm, The pair of mounting portions are provided so as to protrude outward from both sides of the housing. When the pair of mounting portions are provided so as to protrude outward from both sides of the housing, it is possible to suppress spatial encroachment of the mounting portions on the inner periphery of the housing, and to make the front shape of the hollow shape closer to a rectangle. A hollow shape with a front shape closer to a rectangle is suitable for accommodating, for example, an electronic board on which an electronic circuit is formed. Note that the electronic circuit may be an audio output circuit including a speaker, a communication circuit such as an FM transmitter, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, or various power supply circuits such as a charging circuit compatible with the wireless power supply standard QI.

[0022] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of a pair of guide portions provided in an in-vehicle device is attached to the arm, and the other guide portion is attached to the housing side in a state in which it can be displaced linearly, with its height from the support surface being changed. By combining a guide section that moves in a rotational manner with a guide section that moves linearly with at least a change in height, the distance between the pair of guide sections can be changed, and the height of each guide section from the support surface can also be changed.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the arm provided in the vehicle-mounted equipment is biased toward a rotational position where the height of the attached guide part from the support surface is at its lowest and the distance between the guide part and the other guide part is at its narrowest. In this case, the guide portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the portable device by the biasing force acting on the arm. By pressing the guide portion against the outer periphery of the portable device, the portable device can be held more securely.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the range of displacement within which the guide portion in the in-vehicle device can be rotated does not include the position directly below the rotation center of the arm, and the guide portion of the arm positioned at the rotation position is positioned further toward the displacement range than the position directly below the rotation center.

[0025] In this case, when the arm is in the pivoted position, the force pushing the guide portion directly upward from below acts offset without penetrating the pivot center. Therefore, part of the upward force is converted into a force that rotates the arm, thereby causing the arm to rotate. By utilizing the force that rotates the arm in this manner, the holding position of the portable device, which is clamped vertically between the support portion and each guide portion, can be achieved with a single touch, for example, by the following procedure. In this procedure, first, the portable device is pressed against each guide portion from below to cause the arm to rotate, thereby pushing the guide portion upward. Once a sufficient vertical gap is secured, the portable device is pushed toward the back.

[0026] On the other hand, if the rotation center and the guide portion are arranged along the height direction, the force pushing up on the guide portion from below will pass through the rotation center, and no force acting offset from the rotation center will be generated. The pushing force is not converted into a force that rotates the arm, and it is impossible to rotate the arm using this pushing force. In such a case, even if the portable device is pressed against the guide portion from below as described above, it is difficult to rotate the arm. It is necessary to first push up the arm using a hand or the like, secure a gap in the height direction between the guide portion and the support portion, and then hold the portable device, which is cumbersome.

[0027] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the housing constituting the in-vehicle device has a structure for accommodating at least a part of the arm positioned at the rotation position, At least a part of the arm that is housed in the housing is exposed to the outside of the housing when the arm is pivotally displaced from the pivot position.

[0028] In a preferred aspect of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the arm located at the pivoted position is substantially flush with the outer circumferential surface of the housing. If the arm is stowed when the portable device is not being held, the in-vehicle device can be made to look compact. In this case, if a part of the outer circumferential surface of the arm is flush with the outer circumferential surface of the housing, the aesthetic appearance is improved.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the in-vehicle device has a mounting surface facing the back surface of the portable device to be held, The contact surfaces of the guide portions against the portable device to be held are inclined so as to be positioned closer to the inner periphery of the portable device as they move away from the placement surface in the thickness direction of the portable device. In this case, when the guide portion is pressed against the outer periphery of the portable device, part of the pressing force is converted into a pressing force toward the placement surface via the inclined contact surface as described above, and this pressing force acts to press the held portable device against the placement surface.

[0030] Furthermore, the guide portion may be configured so that the contact surface extends to a position that exceeds the thickness of the portable device. In this case, the contact surface that exceeds the thickness is located on the inner periphery of the portable device, thereby preventing the portable device from falling off toward the user. It is also possible to prepare several types of guide portion depending on the thickness of the portable device to be held. By replacing the guide portion with one that protrudes appropriately in the thickness direction, the aesthetic appearance of the portable device when held can be improved.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, the inclination angle of the contact surface is 5 degrees or more and 10 degrees or less. If the tilt angle is less than 5 degrees, the effect of holding the portable device as described above may not be sufficient. On the other hand, if the tilt angle exceeds 10 degrees, the contact area with the corner of the portable device becomes small, and when the guide part is pressed against the portable device, the contact load per unit area may become excessive. For example, if the portable device has a cover made of silicon or the like, there is a risk of the cover temporarily becoming dented.

[0032] The guide portion provided in the in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a rotatably supported rotating roller, and contacts the portable device via the outer circumferential surface of the rotating roller. When the arm is rotated while the portable device is pressed against the guide portion, the arm rotates while the guide portion moves along the outer periphery of the portable device. By providing the guide portion with a rotating roller as described above, it becomes easier to move the guide portion along the outer periphery of the portable device, and the above-described rotational movement of the arm becomes smoother.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the in-vehicle device has a mounting surface facing the back surface of the portable device to be held, The support surface is inclined so as to be positioned upward as it moves away from the placement surface. In this case, a part of the weight of the portable device acting on the support surface is converted into a pressing force toward the placement surface via the inclined support surface, and this pressing force effectively acts to hold the held portable device with high reliability.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support portion of the in-vehicle device includes a pair of receiving portions that are arranged at a predetermined interval and each of which is provided with the support surface, The predetermined interval is set so that a connector to be connected to the portable device to be held can be accommodated in the gap between the pair of receiving portions. In this case, the connector for the held portable device can be easily accessed.

[0035] A preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention includes a housing that forms a main body of the in-vehicle device and forms a mounting surface that faces a rear surface of a portable device to be held, The height of the support surface relative to the lower end of the housing is set so that the connector does not protrude to the outer periphery of the housing. In this case, it is possible to prevent the connector connected to the portable device from interfering with the dashboard of the vehicle, etc. If connector interference can be suppressed, problems such as disconnection of the connector can be avoided.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, the range in which the spacing between the pair of guide sections can be changed and the range in which the height of each guide section from the support surface can be changed overlap over a range of at least 5.5 cm to 7.0 cm. It is said that the size of a portable device is often determined based on the size of the palm of a hand, the size of a shirt pocket, etc. By setting the distance between the pair of guide parts and the height of each guide part as described above, it becomes possible to hold nearly all portable devices, ensuring sufficient versatility.

[0037] The in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is capable of selecting an operation mode according to the operating status of the portable device held therein. The in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the same functions as those of the portable device that can be held, and also has a switching means for switching whether or not the functions are activated. For example, if the in-vehicle device of the present invention has a function similar to a function realized by an application executed on a mobile device, it is preferable to provide a switching means on the in-vehicle device to switch whether or not to activate that function. This can eliminate the duplication of the in-vehicle device executing the same function when the application is executed on the mobile device, and can also enable the in-vehicle device to realize that function when the application is not executed on the mobile device. In particular, it is preferable that the switching means be configured as a physical changeover switch. In this way, overlapping functions of the in-vehicle device can be stopped easily and quickly. In particular, quick operation of in-vehicle devices is often considered important.

[0038] A preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention is an in-vehicle device capable of holding a mobile device having a current positioning function, While having the function of determining the current position, it is possible to selectively set either an operation mode in which the current position is determined or an operation mode in which the current position is not determined. If the vehicle has a portable device with a positioning function, it is possible to acquire the current location from the portable device, or to have the in-vehicle device function that uses the current location be realized on the portable device side. In such a case, by selecting an operating mode that disables the positioning function on the in-vehicle device side, power consumption can be reduced, thereby improving energy conservation effects.

[0039] The in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is capable of supplying power to a portable device held therein. If the user can charge the mobile device, it will be possible to prevent the device from running out of charge after getting out of the vehicle. Power supply methods include using a connector, as well as wireless power supply methods such as QI.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, the portable device can be held in at least one of a first holding position in which the pair of guide portions sandwich the portable device from both sides in the width direction (horizontal direction) and the support portion supports the portable device from below, and a second holding position in which the support portion and each of the guide portions sandwich the portable device in the height direction, It is possible to detect in which of the first and second holding positions the portable device is held. For example, in the case of a mobile terminal that can be held in either the first holding position or the second holding position, the difference in holding position is whether the terminal is held vertically or horizontally. For example, if the directivity of the GPS antenna of a mobile device with a GPS function is set vertically and the in-vehicle device also has a GPS function, it is possible to control the terminal so that when the terminal is held vertically, the GPS function of the in-vehicle device is stopped and the GPS function of the mobile device is used, and when the terminal is held horizontally, the GPS function of the in-vehicle device is used.

[0041] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the in-vehicle device has operation units that are operated by a user, and at least one of the operation units is positioned so that it can be operated even when the portable device is being held. An operable position means a position that is not hidden by the held portable device and can be accessed by the user's finger, etc. By arranging the operation unit as described above, it becomes possible to operate the in-vehicle device even when holding the portable device.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment of the in-vehicle device of the present invention, at least one of the operation sections is disposed at the tip of the support section or the guide section so that it can be operated even when the portable device is being held. The tip surface of the support portion or the guide portion will not be hidden by the held portable device, and the operation portion disposed on such a tip surface can be operated regardless of whether the portable device is present or not, or the holding position, etc.

[0043] An operation unit in an in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first operation unit that is arranged at a position that allows operation even when the portable device is held, and a second operation unit that may become inoperable when the portable device is held, The first operating unit and the second operating unit differ in the degree of expected frequency of operation during driving of the vehicle, with the second operating unit expected to be operated less frequently. The inoperable position means a position that is hidden by the held portable device and cannot be accessed by the user's fingers, etc. By arranging the second operation unit in the inoperable position while arranging the first operation unit, which is operated more frequently, in a position that can be operated even when the portable device is held, it is possible to prevent the held portable device from interfering with the operation of the in-vehicle device.

[0044] For example, the device may be provided with an operation unit that may become inoperable depending on whether the portable device is held vertically or horizontally, and an operation unit that can be operated regardless of the orientation of the portable device being held, and the operation unit that may become inoperable may be an operation unit that is less likely to need to be operated when the portable device is held, or an operation unit that should be prohibited from being operated. For example, an operation unit that is arranged in a position that is hidden by the portable device when the portable device is installed in a portrait orientation (e.g., the longitudinal direction of the portable device is generally vertical), and that is arranged in a position that is not hidden by the portable device when the portable device is installed in a landscape orientation (e.g., the longitudinal direction of the portable device is generally horizontal), may be an operation unit that needs to be operated when the portable device is installed in a landscape orientation. For example, in a portable device in which the longitudinal direction of the portable device is the longitudinal direction of the display screen provided on the portable device, this operation unit may be provided as a switch that switches between splitting the screen into left and right halves when the portable device is installed in a landscape orientation, or displaying the full screen without splitting the screen.

[0045] The in-vehicle device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an operation unit operated by a user, and at least one of the operation units can be operated via a held portable device. Configurations that enable operation via a portable device include electrically realized configurations and mechanically realized configurations. An example of an electrically realized configuration is a configuration in which the portable device and the in-vehicle device are connected wirelessly or via a wired connection so that they can communicate with each other, and an operation unit corresponding to an operation unit of the in-vehicle device is realized on the portable device side. If the portable device transmits a signal to the in-vehicle device that an operation unit on a display screen has been operated, the in-vehicle device can be operated in response to an operation on the portable device side. An example of a mechanically realized configuration is a configuration in which an operation unit is provided that abuts against the back surface of the held portable device and can be pressed by the back surface, and the operation unit is pressed and operated by pressing the portable device from the front side.

[0046] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support portion of the in-vehicle equipment has a pair of support arms rotatably supported on a housing that forms the main body of the in-vehicle equipment, and the support surface is provided at the tip end of each of the pair of support arms. In this case, the height of the portable device being held can be adjusted according to the rotation position of the support arm. Furthermore, since the height of the support surface can be changed according to the rotation of the support arm, the adjustment range of the height of each guide part from the support surface can be expanded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0047] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front side of the radar cradle (including the bracket) in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a radar cradle for holding a smartphone in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the radar cradle in the first embodiment, viewed obliquely. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bracket in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bracket in which the support of a joint post is displayed in a skeleton form in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bracket in which a hollow cup is displayed in a skeleton form in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bracket from which the joint portion has been removed in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cradle main body seen from the front side in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cradle main body seen from the rear side in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing as seen from the front side in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside of the cover in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the case in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pair of rotating arms seen from the front side in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of rotating arms in the first embodiment, viewed obliquely. [Figure 15] FIG. 3 is a side view of the rotating arm with the rubber tube removed in the first embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 3 is a side view of a rotating arm to which a rubber tube is attached in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a combination of a torsion coil spring and a rotating arm in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a combination of a cover and a rotating arm in the first embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a combination of a cover and a torsion coil spring in the first embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the housing structure for the electronic board in the first embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the surface on the bottom side of the case of the main board in the first embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the surface on the side of the cover of the sub-board in the first embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the radar cradle in the first embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the size of a portable device that can be held in the first embodiment. [Figure 25] 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a procedure for placing the smartphone vertically in the first embodiment. [Figure 26] 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams of a procedure for placing the smartphone horizontally in the first embodiment. [Figure 27] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the rotational movement of the rotation arm when the smartphone is placed horizontally in the first embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a first radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a second radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a third radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a fourth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a fifth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a sixth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a seventh radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 35] FIG. 11 is a front view showing an eighth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a ninth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the tenth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 11 is a front view showing an eleventh radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 12 is a front view showing a twelfth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 40] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the thirteenth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 41] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the fourteenth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 42] FIG. 16 is a front view showing the fifteenth radar cradle in the second embodiment. [Figure 43] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the sixteenth radar cradle in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] The embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described using the following examples. Example 1 This example relates to an in-vehicle device (hereinafter referred to as a radar cradle) 1 that can hold a smartphone (multi-function mobile phone) 100, which is a portable device, and also has a function as a radar detector. The details of this will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 27.

[0049] 1 and 2, the radar cradle 1 of this example can be fixed to the dashboard of a vehicle or the like via a bracket 2 attached to the rear side. For example, the radar cradle 1 fixed to the dashboard can hold a mobile device such as a smartphone 100 facing the driver. Note that the radar cradle 1 of this example can also be attached to a sun visor, rearview mirror, or the like depending on the bracket selected.

[0050] The radar cradle 1 is provided with a pair of pivoting arms (arms) 13 that can pivot outward on both sides of the cradle main body 1A. If the smartphone 100 is held by being sandwiched from both sides by guide rollers (guide portions) 130 provided on each of the pivoting arms 13, it can be placed vertically as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, if the smartphone 100 is sandwiched vertically (up and down) between a holder (support portion) 15 that supports the weight of the smartphone 100 and the guide rollers 130, it can also be placed horizontally. The configuration of the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described below.

[0051] 3 to 7, the bracket 2 for mounting the radar cradle 1 on a vehicle is configured to include a joint part 21 fixed to the back surface of the cradle main body 1A, an adsorption base 22 that is fixed by adsorption to the surface of the vehicle dashboard, and a joint post 23 that is attached so as to stand upright from the adsorption base 22 and that rotatably supports the joint part 21. The joint part 21 and the joint post 23 are connected via a ball joint mechanism 24.

[0052] The joint section 21 has a mounting plate 210 for the cradle main body 1A, and also has a mounting stay 212 extending from the mounting plate 210. A spherical ball section 216 (FIG. 5) having a larger diameter than a shaft section 214 having a circular cross section is provided on the tip side of the mounting stay 212 via the shaft section 214. The spherical ball section 216 functions as a joint ball that constitutes the ball joint mechanism 24.

[0053] The suction base 22 is composed of a hollow cup 220 having an approximately dome shape like an upside-down bowl, a rubber plate 222 having an approximately circular shape that is slightly larger than the bottom surface of the hollow cup 220, a lever 224 provided near the center of the hollow cup 220, and a cylindrical protrusion 228 (Figure 5) that stands off-center from the center of the hollow cup 220.

[0054] The hollow cup 220 has a flat portion 220s formed on the upper surface, and a through-hole drilled in the center of the flat portion 220s. A shaft 229 (FIG. 6) fixed to the center of the rubber plate 222 is disposed to pass through this through-hole in a manner that allows it to advance and retreat. A lever 224 is attached to the other end of the shaft 229. Lever 224 is a member having a substantially L-shape. A pin hole 224h for holding a pin 229p that penetrates shaft 229 in the perpendicular direction is drilled at the tip of the horizontal part of the letter L in Fig. 5. The vertical part of the L is formed longer than the horizontal part, and an operating part 224s that the user operates with the thumb or the like is provided at the tip.

[0055] By operating the lever 224 to tilt the operating portion 224s, the shaft 229 can be pulled up in the axial direction by the principle of leverage, with the operating portion 224s as the point of application, the corner portion 224c forming the L-shaped corner as the fulcrum, and the pin hole 224h as the point of force. When the operating portion 224s is tilted down and the corner portion 224c and the pin hole 224h are positioned along the axial direction of the shaft 229, a mechanically stable state is formed, and the state in which the shaft 229 is pulled up in the axial direction as described above is stably maintained. While the central portion of the rubber plate 222 is pulled up as the shaft 229 is pulled up, the outer periphery of the rubber plate 222 does not move with the shaft 229 because the outer periphery of the hollow cup 220 presses against the backside of the rubber plate 222.

[0056] For example, if the lever 224 is operated to tilt down while the rubber plate 222 is pressed against the surface of the dashboard of the vehicle, the center portion of the rubber plate 222 can be pulled up as the shaft 229 is pulled up. This creates a negative pressure between the rubber plate 222 and the surface of the dashboard, which allows the bracket 2 to be fixed by suction to the dashboard. In this example, the corner portion 224c is formed to slightly protrude outward in the horizontal direction in FIGS. 4 to 6 so as to ensure a long lift of the shaft 229 in response to the operation of tilting the lever 224. Furthermore, the protruding shape of the corner portion 224c is formed in a substantially semicircular shape so as to prevent excessive contact load on the flat portion 220s.

[0057] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the joint post 23 is composed of a support 231 having a substantially octagonal prism shape, a bolt 233 that passes through the support 231 in a direction perpendicular to the support 231, and an operating knob 234 that tightens the bolt 233. A through-hole is drilled in the bottom surface of the support 231 to accommodate the protrusion 228 of the hollow cup 220. The tip of the support 231 is forked, and a pair of post pieces 236 are formed facing each other in the direction in which the bolt 233 passes through. Each post piece 236 has a mortar-shaped recess 236d on the inner surface facing the other post piece 236. The pair of post pieces 236 form a spherical space that accommodates the spherical ball portion 216 of the joint part 21 by combining the respective recesses 236d (FIG. 7).

[0058] The head portion (non-threaded side) of the bolt 233 is fixed to the side wall of the support 231 in a state where it is prevented from rotating (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The operation knob 234 has a generally cylindrical seat 234z and a pair of finger hooks 234y that are disposed opposite each other and protrude radially from the seat 234z to facilitate rotation. A screw hole (not shown) is drilled in the seat 234z along the axial direction, into which the bolt 233 is screwed. When the operation knob 234 attached to the bracket 2 is tightened, the tip surface of the seat 234z presses against the outer surface of the support 231. Pressing the outer surface of the support in this manner makes it possible to slightly elastically deform the support 233 so as to crush it in the axial direction of the bolt 233. When the support 231 elastically deforms in this manner, the gap between the pair of post pieces 236 narrows, allowing the spherical ball portion 216 housed in the gap to be fastened, and the cylindrical protrusion 228 can be fastened in accordance with slight deformation of the inner circumferential shape of the bottomed hole. This makes it possible to fix the rotational position of the joint portion 21 relative to the joint post 23, and also to fix the rotational position of the joint post 23 around the protrusion 228 (Figure 5).

[0059] Next, the configuration of the cradle main body 1A will be described. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cradle main body 1A of this example has an oval outer shape tapering downward, excluding the guide rollers 130 and holder 15 that protrude from the front side. The cradle main body 1A has a structure that houses the rotating arm 13 that supports the guide rollers 130, and when the cradle main body 1A is not holding a smartphone or the like, its front shape is an upside-down egg shape (an upside-down egg shape like an oval coin that tapers downward).

[0060] On the front side of the cradle main body 1A, guide rollers 130 and holders 15 are erected at four locations on the outer periphery. An inverted egg-shaped inner periphery 110, which corresponds to the area inside the guide rollers 130 and holder 15, is raised higher than the outer periphery 111 on which the guide rollers 130 and the like are provided, and has a larger dimension in the thickness direction. A thin urethane cushion pad 110S is affixed near the lower half of the inner periphery 110. In the cradle main body 1A, the surface of the inner periphery 110 serves as a surface on which the smartphone 100 and the like are placed.

[0061] A pair of left and right holders 15 erected below the outer peripheral portion 111 are provided at a predetermined distance from each other at a position higher than the lower end (the lower end in the vertical direction) of the cradle main body 1A. A support surface 15s that contacts the upper surface of the holder 15 is formed by a rubber pad 152 attached to the holder 15. The surface of the pad 152 that serves as the support surface 15s for the smartphone 100 (FIG. 2) is formed with serrations to prevent the smartphone from falling off. The thickness of the pad 152 gradually increases from about the middle of the holder 15 in the erected direction and is thickest at the tip end of the holder 15. The support surface 15s of the holder 15 formed by such pad 152 has an inclined surface that is positioned higher as it approaches the tip. This inclined surface can convert the load of the smartphone 100 in the gravitational direction into a force that presses the smartphone 100 against the cradle main body 1A.

[0062] In this example, the distance between the pair of holders 15 (dimension W in FIG. 24) is set to 3.8 cm, which is wider than the width of the various connectors that are connected to the connection port of the smartphone 100, taking into consideration the width of those connectors. Furthermore, the height (dimension T in the same figure) of the support surface 15s (holder 15) relative to the lower end of the cradle main body 1A is set to 3.1 cm, taking into consideration the height of the various connectors.

[0063] Four operation switches (operation units) 171-174 are arranged at the top of the inner peripheral portion 110 along the outer edge of the inverted egg shape. The four operation switches 171-174 are push-in switches with the same arc-shaped specifications. The four operation switches 171-174 are arranged with slight gaps in between along the direction of the arc of the shape, and as a whole form an arc that is close to a semicircle. At the bottom of the outer peripheral portion 111, an indicator panel 170 is arranged that houses display lamps that use LED light to notify operating conditions and issue alarms, and two operation switches 175 and 176 are arranged in parallel along the lower side of the indicator panel 170. The specifications of the individual operation switches and indicator panel 170 will be explained after explaining the internal specifications of the radar cradle 1.

[0064] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the back of the cradle main body 1A is provided with a base portion 120 for attaching the mounting plate 210 (Figure 4) of the bracket 2, a USB connector 313 for connecting a connection cable for supplying power etc. to the smartphone 100 (Figure 2), a speaker hole 122, etc. On the outer circumferential side surface of the cradle main body 1A, there are provided a slide switch (switching means) 312 that functions as a power switch, a DC connector 314 for connecting a power cable, an SD card slot 311 (see FIG. 21), and the like.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 , the housing 10 constituting the cradle main body 1A is a hollow case with a split structure that combines a front cover 11 facing the driver and a rear case 12. The housing 10, which combines the cover 11 and the case 12, houses electronic components such as an electronic circuit board, which will be described later. In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the cover 11 and the case 12 are used to realize the mounting structure and accommodation structure of the pivot arm 13. The outer peripheral side surfaces on both sides of the upper part of the cradle main body 1A are provided with recessed accommodation sections 101 for accommodating the pivot arm 13, and a screw support 116, which serves as the pivot axis of the pivot arm 13, is disposed above the accommodation section 101 and penetrates the thickness direction. Furthermore, the outer peripheral portion 111 of the cradle main body 1A is provided with notches 102 for allowing the guide rollers 130 to protrude, thereby enabling the pivot arm 13 to be accommodated in the accommodation section 101.

[0066] The bottom surface of the cover 11 (Fig. 11) is provided with holes for arranging various operation switches, and is also provided with a structure (not shown) for attaching an indicator panel 170 made of a translucent resin material. The bottom surface of the case 12 (Fig. 12) is provided with an access hole for a USB connector 313 (Fig. 9), etc. The outer peripheral side surface of the case 12 is provided with access holes or cutouts for a slide switch 312, a DC connector 314, an SD card slot 311, etc.

[0067] The cover 11 and the case 12 are provided with storage compartments 117, 127 on both sides of the upper portion, which constitute the storage compartment 101 of the cradle main body 1A. When the cover 11 or the case 12 is viewed from the front, the storage compartments 117, 127 on both sides are shaped like the Chinese character for eight. These storage compartments 117, 127 are formed by partially removing the outer sidewall of the cover 11 or the case 12 and providing sidewalls 115, 125 on the inner side. A screw support 116 with a screw hole drilled along the axial direction is erected at the top of the storage compartment 115 on the cover 11 side. A base 126 for the screw support 116 is formed in the storage compartment 126 on the case 12 side, and a through-hole is drilled in the center of the base 126 for the screw to pass through. The cover 11 and the case 12 are fixed together using a fixing screw that is disposed through the through-hole and threaded into the screw support 116. Further, on the bottom surface of the cover 11, which is in contact with the lower part of the accommodation portion 117 of the cover 11, a notch 118 is formed which forms the notch 102 of the cradle main body 1A.

[0068] 13 to 17, the rotating arm 13 includes a base member 13b having a front shape resembling a broad bean. The convexly curved outer edge of the broad bean shape of the base member 13b, which faces outward when assembled, roughly matches the outer edge of the front of the inverted egg-shaped housing 10. This approximate matching of the outer edge shapes is very effective in improving the aesthetic appearance of the rotating arm 13 when housed in the cradle main body 1A.

[0069] Through holes are drilled at both ends of the bean-shaped base member 13b. The through hole 133 located on the rotation center side is a hole for inserting the screw support 116 of the housing 10. The other through hole is inserted through and arranged to allow the rotation shaft 131 of the guide roller 130 to pass through (see FIG. 15). One end of this rotation shaft 131 is supported by the base member 13b, and the other end protrudes toward the outside of the base member 13b. A tapered rubber rotation roller 132, which is conically tapered and has a diameter that increases toward the tip, is fitted onto the protruding portion of the rotation shaft 131, which has a large-diameter retainer 131a formed at its tip (FIGS. 15 and 16).

[0070] The rotation range of the rotating arm 13 (the range of rotational displacement) is set to a range of 100 degrees outward from the rotation position where the arm is accommodated in the housing 10 (the accommodation position shown in FIG. 8). Between the rotating arm 13 and the housing 10, as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, there is interposed a torsion coil spring 14, which is made of a wire made of spring steel wound into a coil shape and has both ends, the beginning and the end of the winding, extended in the tangential direction. A cylindrical coil portion 140 of the torsion coil spring 14 is fitted onto and held by a threaded support 116 that forms the rotation axis of the rotating arm 13. One end 142 of the torsion coil spring 14 is fixed to the rotating arm 13 at a position that abuts on the outer periphery of the rotation center. The other end 141 is fixed to the housing 10. The rotating arm 13 is urged toward the accommodation position shown in FIG. 8 by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 14. In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the biasing force when rotated 100 degrees from this storage position is about 8 kgf, and the biasing force when rotated 50 degrees is about 4 kgf.

[0071] In the cradle main body 1A of this embodiment, the horizontal spacing between the pair of guide rollers 130 (spacing between the guide rollers 130, dimension H in FIG. 24) that varies in response to the rotation of the rotating arm 13 is set to a range of 5.0 cm to 7.5 cm. Furthermore, the vertical spacing between the guide roller 130, whose vertical position changes as the rotating arm 13 rotates, and the support surface 15s of the holder 15 (height from the support surface 15s to the guide roller 130, dimension V in FIG. 24) varies in a range of 5.5 cm to 8.0 cm. The minimum dimensions of the variation range in both the horizontal and vertical directions are the dimensions when both the left and right rotating arms 13 are in the storage position shown in FIG. 8. The maximum horizontal dimension is the dimension obtained when both the left and right rotating arms 13 rotate horizontally. The maximum vertical dimension is the dimension obtained when the left and right rotating arms 13 rotate to the limit of their rotation range of 100 degrees.

[0072] As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, two identically shaped electronic boards 31 and 32 are housed inside the housing 10, stacked one on top of the other. In FIG. 20, the rear electronic board 31 is hidden by the front electronic board 32. The main board 31 shown in FIG. 21, which is installed on the rear side of the cradle main body 1A (the rear side of the case 12), is equipped with a microcomputer (not shown), an RD module 316, a GPS module 315, a surface-mounted speaker 318, an audio IC, an SD card slot 311, a three-position slide switch 312, a USB connector 313, a DC connector 314, and the like. The sub-board 32 shown in FIG. 22, which is installed on the front side of the cradle main body 1A (the side facing the cover 11), is equipped with a wireless module 324 (FIG. 23), tactile switches 321 that constitute the various operation switches 171 to 176, chip LEDs 323 that constitute the various indicator lamps, and the like. The chip LED 323 is appropriately placed at a position on the inside of the indicator panel 170 (FIG. 8) and functions as various display lamps. Note that the wireless module 324 mounted on the back side of the electronic board is not visible in FIG.

[0073] The GPS module 315 is a receiver that receives GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites and outputs the current time, current position (position information based on latitude and longitude), current speed, altitude, and the like. The RD module 316 is a receiver that receives microwave radar waves emitted from a speed measurement device such as a mobile radar (hereinafter simply referred to as radar). The RD module 316 includes an antenna board that receives microwaves and a high-frequency circuit that forms a receiving circuit. The antenna board is a printed circuit board on which two sets of copper foil patterns that form square patch antenna radiating elements (not shown) are formed. In particular, on the antenna board of this example, each patch antenna radiating element is tilted approximately 27 degrees with respect to the vertical direction of the cradle main body 1A. By tilting the patch antenna radiating elements in this manner, it is possible to achieve both high reception sensitivity for vertically polarized microwaves and high reception sensitivity for horizontally polarized microwaves. The RD module 316 can output the reception level of radar waves, including a reception level of zero, which indicates no reception. The wireless module 324 (FIG. 23) is a receiver that receives radio signals from emergency vehicles and the like. The wireless module 324 in this example is a module that can receive two types of radio signals: police radio signals and car location radio signals. An antenna wire (not shown) is connected to the wireless module 324 via an external terminal provided on the sub-board 32. This antenna wire is routed through a gap inside the housing 10. The wireless module 324 can output a radio wave reception level (including a reception level of zero, which indicates no reception) for each of the two types of radio signals.

[0074] In the cradle main body 1A of this example, the GPS module 315 and the RD module 316 are mounted on the main board 31 incorporated on the rear side, while the wireless module 324 is mounted on the sub-board 32 incorporated on the front side. The radio waves received by the wireless module 324 have shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) than the microwaves received by the GPS module 315 and the microwaves received by the RD module 316, and are therefore more likely to be diffracted and detoured. Taking into consideration the characteristics of such received radio waves, in the cradle main body 1A of this example, the GPS module 315 and the RD module 316 are disposed on the rear side, which faces the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the wireless module 324 is disposed on the passenger compartment side (front side).

[0075] Generally, placing the wireless module 324, which occupies a large area, on the main board 31 results in an increase in the size of the board, making it more difficult to design a compact device. On the other hand, by taking into account the differences in the characteristics of received radio waves as described above, and mounting the wireless module 324 on the sub-board 32 and adopting a board configuration in which the wireless module 324 and the main board 31 are stacked on top of each other, it becomes easier to design a compact cradle body 1A. When the main board 31 is installed in the housing 10, a microcomputer (not shown) and the like are located on the back side of the base 120 to which the bracket 2 is attached, while the RD module 316 and the GPS module 315 are located above the base 120. The USB connector 313 and the speaker 318 are appropriately positioned so that they can be accessed even when the bracket 2 is attached to the cradle main body 1A.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 23, the radar cradle 1 of this example is electrically configured with a control unit 30 at its center. A GPS module 315, an RD module 316, a wireless module 324, a speaker 318, a memory card reader 33, and the like are electrically connected to the control unit 30. The memory card reader 33 reads data from a memory card 331 inserted into an SD card slot 311 (Fig. 21) and transfers the data to the control unit 30. Furthermore, the radar cradle 1 is provided with a database 300 that can be accessed from the control unit 30. This database 300 is formed using the storage area of ​​an EEPROM, which is a non-volatile memory built into a microcomputer.

[0077] The control unit 30 is configured by a microcomputer in which a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM, an I / O, and the like are integrated into one chip. The ROM stores software programs to be executed by the CPU. The storage area of ​​the non-volatile memory such as EEPROM includes, in addition to the storage area for the database 300 described above, a setting information storage area for storing setting information regarding various settings, and a user information storage area for storing location information of the My Area set by the user.

[0078] At the time of product shipment, database 300 stores GPS content and information for audio output. GPS content includes location information such as radar-type speed cameras, speed cameras in tunnels, loop coils, LH systems, new LH systems, tunnel exit targets, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, intersection monitoring points, no-parking monitoring areas, N systems, red light ignorance prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, and high-priority no-parking areas. Audio output information stores voice data such as "Expressway radar, 1 km to the right," and "This area is a no-parking monitoring area."

[0079] The data stored in database 300 can be updated using memory card 331. When memory card 331 storing update data such as GPS content and audio output information is inserted into SD card slot 311, the update data is read out under the control of control unit 30, and the data in database 300 can be updated. Note that database 300 can also be updated by connecting a PC with update data stored on a hard disk or the like via USB.

[0080] The radar cradle 1 realizes various functions by having the CPU execute software programs read from the ROM. The functions of the radar cradle 1 in this example include an alarm function that issues various alarms, a setting function, and a registration function. The alarm functions include a GPS alarm function, an RD alarm function, and a wireless alarm function. The control unit 30 is formed with means corresponding to each function.

[0081] The GPS warning function warns of approaching speed cameras and other warning targets. The GPS warning function repeatedly executes calculations at predetermined intervals (for example, every second) to determine the distance between the target and the vehicle's current location. When this distance reaches a predetermined approach distance and an event known as approaching a warning point occurs, a GPS warning is issued to that effect. The RD warning function is a function that warns of approaching a radar-type enforcement device in response to the incidence of radar waves (microwaves). When an event occurs in which the RD module 316 receives radar waves (hereinafter referred to as RD reception), an RD warning is issued to indicate this. The wireless warning function is a function that warns of the approach of emergency vehicles, etc. in response to reception of wireless radio waves emitted by emergency vehicles, etc. When an event occurs in which wireless radio waves emitted by an emergency vehicle, etc. are received (hereinafter referred to as wireless reception), a wireless warning is executed to alert the driver not to interfere with the movement of the emergency vehicle, etc. The setting function is a function for making various settings related to the operation of the radar cradle 1. The setting items and setting methods will be explained later. The registration function is a function for registering predetermined position information. The predetermined position information includes position information registered in response to a user operation, as well as position information registered by the control unit 30.

[0082] Next, the configuration of the user interface (operation switches, display, etc.) of the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described, followed by the operation of the radar cradle 1. The power switch for the radar cradle 1 is a three-position slide switch 312 (Fig. 9) that can be operated in the up and down directions. The top OFF position corresponds to power OFF, and the bottom two positions correspond to power ON. Of the power ON positions, the bottom ALL ON position corresponds to an operating mode in which all functions, including the GPS function, are operational, and the top positions correspond to an operating mode in which the GPS function is not operational.

[0083] Operation switches 171 to 174 (FIG. 8) arranged on the front side of the cradle main body 1A at the top of the inner peripheral part 110 are a select button, a set button, and UP / DOWN volume adjustment buttons. Two operation switches 175 and 176 arranged at the bottom of the outer peripheral part 111 are a my area button and a test & mute button. An indicator panel 170 arranged above the operation switches 175 and 176 has display lamps such as an on / off lamp, an RD alarm lamp, a GPS lamp, and a wireless alarm lamp.

[0084] My Area button 175 is an operation button for the user to register an area that he or she wishes to memorize. The test and mute button 176 is an operation button for checking the alarm sound and activating the mute function. If operated during standby when no alarm has been issued, a test tone of a specified volume will be generated. The desired volume can be set by appropriately operating the volume adjustment button based on the volume of the test tone. The select button 171 is an operation button for selecting a setting item. The setting item can be selected depending on the number of times the select button 171 is operated. After selecting a setting item, the setting content can be switched by operating the set button 172.

[0085] In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the My Area button 175, the Test & Mute button 176, and the indicator panel 170 are arranged in positions where they will not be hidden even when the smartphone 100 (FIG. 2) is held. On the other hand, the select button 171, the set button 172, and the volume adjustment buttons 173 and 174, which are operation buttons for settings and are operated less frequently during use, are arranged in positions where they may be hidden by the smartphone 100.

[0086] When using the radar cradle 1, if the slide switch 312, which serves as the power switch, is switched to the all-on position, the on / off lamp lights up red (or orange if the AAC / ASS function is on), and operation of all functions (all-on mode) is started under the control of the control unit 30 (Fig. 23). When the slide switch 312 is operated to a position where only the GPS function is inoperative, the on / off lamp lights up green, and the control unit 30 starts operation of all functions except the GPS module.

[0087] In the all-on mode, the control unit 30 receives output signals from the GPS module 315, the RD module 316, and the wireless module 324 at regular time intervals, such as every second. Every time the control unit 30 receives the current position of the GPS module 315, it repeatedly executes a calculation process to determine the approach distance, which is the distance between the current position and the position of the object to be warned.

[0088] When the approach distance reaches a predetermined distance, the control unit 30 determines that an event called "approach to warning point" has occurred. When radar waves of a predetermined reception level or higher are received, the control unit 30 determines that an event called "RD reception" has occurred. When radio waves of a predetermined reception level or higher are received, the control unit 30 determines that an event called "radio reception" has occurred. If none of these three events have occurred, the radar cradle 1 enters a standby state.

[0089] When the control unit 30 determines that any of the events has occurred, it executes the corresponding alarm operation. Note that when two or more events have occurred simultaneously, the alarm priority is given to the RD alarm function, the wireless alarm function, and the GPS alarm function, in that order from highest to lowest. When the control unit 30 determines that an event of approaching a warning point has occurred, it controls the speaker 318 to output a voice message indicating that the vehicle is approaching the warning point, along with the type of warning point being approached. In particular, when the vehicle approaches an Orbis point or My Area where an Orbis is installed, the GPS lamp flashes blue. The control unit 30, which has determined that an RD reception event has occurred, controls the speaker 318 to output the alarm sound set in the RD alarm sound setting, and also flashes the RD alarm lamp. This operation continues until radar waves are no longer received, and as the radar wave reception level increases, the flashing speed of the RD alarm lamp increases, and if a "beep beep beep" electronic sound is set as the alarm sound, the tempo of the sound also increases. The control unit 30, which has determined that a radio reception event has occurred, outputs a voice message such as "Police radio signal," and turns on the radio warning lamp. Furthermore, when a radio reception event occurs in response to car location radio signal reception, it outputs a voice message such as "Car location signal is far away," or "Car location signal is close," depending on the proximity of the sender, and then, when the car location radio signal reception is interrupted, it outputs a voice message saying "You are out of car location range."

[0090] In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the following settings can be made by appropriately operating the select button 171 and the set button 172. (RD alarm sound setting) The RD alarm sound can be selectively set to an electronic "beep beep beep" sound or a voice saying "Caution: Speed." By operating the select button 171 once, the RD alarm sound setting function can be selected, and the setting at that time, such as "Voice is on," will be pronounced. If left as is, the voice-on state will remain, and by operating the set button 172, the voice can be switched off, and the switch can be confirmed by the sound "Off."

[0091] (Notification settings) This setting determines whether or not to notify when approaching GPS content. Target GPS content includes the N system, no-parking monitoring areas, police stations, and accident-prone areas. For example, by operating the select button 171 five times, the N system notification function is selected, and the current setting, such as "N system is on," is announced. If left as is, the notification state is maintained, but by operating the set button 172, the N system notification function can be switched off, and the announcement "It's off" can be heard to confirm the switch. The notification target can be switched depending on the number of times the select button 171 is operated; the no-parking monitoring area notification function requires six operations, the police station notification function requires seven operations, and the accident-prone area notification function requires eight operations.

[0092] (Intelligent Cancel function setting) This sets whether to activate the intelligent cancel function, which automatically registers the GPS location information of any false alarm caused by an automatic door or the like as a false alarm area and cancels the RD alarm even if microwaves are received the next time the vehicle passes through that location. Operating the select button 171 twice selects the intelligent cancel (I cancel) function, and a message indicating the current setting, such as "I cancel, on," is played. Leaving the intelligent cancel function on will keep it on, and operating the set button 172 will switch the intelligent cancel function off, with the message "Off" being played to confirm the switch.

[0093] (AAC / ASS function settings) This sets whether to operate the AAC function, which cuts off the RD warning when the speed is below 30 km / h, and the ASS function, which switches the reception sensitivity of the RD module depending on the speed. By operating the select button 171 three times, the AAC / ASS function can be selected, and the setting at that time, such as "AAC is on," will be announced. If left as is, the AAC / ASS function will remain on, and by operating the set button 172, the AAC / ASS function can be switched off, and the change will be confirmed by the announcement of "It's off."

[0094] (Wireless reception function settings) This sets whether or not to receive two radio bands (police radio and car location radio). By operating the select button 171 four times, the radio reception function can be selected, and the setting at that time, such as "Radio is on," is announced. If left as is, the radio reception function will remain on, and by operating the set button 172, the radio reception function can be switched off, and the change can be confirmed by hearing the announcement "It's off."

[0095] Next, a procedure for holding a smartphone on the radar cradle 1 of this example will be described. 24, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, the horizontal spacing H between the pair of guide rollers 130 that varies in response to the rotation of the rotating arm 13 is set to a range of 5.0 cm to 7.5 cm. Also, the vertical spacing V between the guide roller 130, whose vertical position changes as the rotating arm 13 rotates, and the support surface 15s of the holder 15 varies in a range of 5.5 cm to 8.0 cm. This radar cradle 1 can hold a mobile device such as a smartphone with a width (short side dimension) of 5.5 cm to 7.5 cm, in either portrait or landscape orientation, where the range of variation of the horizontal spacing H and the range of variation of the vertical spacing V overlap.

[0096] An example of the procedure for placing a smartphone vertically is described below. For example, a vertically-positioned smartphone is tilted left or right, and the smartphone is inserted left-side into the space between the pair of guide rollers 130. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 25, the left side of the smartphone is pressed against the guide rollers 130, causing the guide rollers 130 to rotate outward and widen the gap H between the pair of guide rollers 130. After rotating the guide rollers 130 until the gap H is wider than the width of the smartphone, the right side of the smartphone is pushed toward the cradle main body 1A. By performing this installation operation, the smartphone is sandwiched between the pair of guide rollers 130 from both sides, and the bottom of the smartphone is supported by the support surface 15s, achieving a vertically-positioned holding state (see FIG. 2).

[0097] An example of the procedure for holding a smartphone horizontally will be described. For example, a horizontally placed smartphone is tilted upside down, and the smartphone is inserted from above into the space between the guide rollers 130 and the holder 15. Then, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 26 , the upper side of the smartphone is pressed against the guide rollers 130, causing the left and right guide rollers 130 to rotate upward, thereby widening the gap V between the guide rollers 130 and the support surface 15s. After rotating the left and right guide rollers 130 until the gap V is wider than the width of the smartphone, the lower side of the smartphone is pushed toward the cradle main body 1A. By performing this installation operation, the smartphone can be held horizontally, with the pair of guide rollers 130 and the pair of holders 15 sandwiching the smartphone from above and below.

[0098] In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the guide roller 130 is rotatably supported by the rotating arm 13. This type of support structure is particularly effective when holding a smartphone using the procedure described above. This will be described below. When the smartphone is pressed against the guide roller 130 and the pivot arm 13 is rotated as described above, a vertical (horizontal) displacement occurs in the guide roller 130 in conjunction with the desired horizontal (vertical) displacement. When the smartphone is pressed against the guide roller 130 and displaced horizontally (vertically), the guide roller 130 needs to displace vertically (horizontally) along the outer periphery of the smartphone while circumscribing the smartphone. By using a guide roller 130 that can rotate with respect to the pivot arm 13, it is possible to reduce the sliding resistance when the guide roller 130 displaces along the outer periphery of the smartphone to nearly zero. If the guide roller 130 does not rotate, the sliding resistance when the guide roller 130 displaces along the outer periphery of the smartphone becomes large, which becomes resistance to the pivoting motion of the pivot arm 13. In particular, in the case of the rubber guide roller 130 of this example, the coefficient of friction at the contact points becomes high, making this problem more pronounced.

[0099] 27, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, the rotating arm 13 in the storage position faces diagonally downward, and the guide roller 130 (center position) is located outward with respect to the vertical direction VL passing through the center of rotation (the screw support 116 in this example). With this arrangement, the force F pushing up the guide roller 130 in the direction of the arrow when placed horizontally as described above can be converted into a rotation moment M about the screw support 116. This rotation moment M allows the rotating arm 13 to be rotated outward. On the other hand, if the guide roller 130 in the storage position and the screw support 116 (the rotation center of the rotating arm 13) are arranged along the vertical direction VL, no rotation moment is generated due to the vertical pushing force F, and the rotating arm 13 cannot be rotated.

[0100] The distance W (see FIG. 24 ) between the pair of holders 15 in the radar cradle 1 of this example is set larger than the width of a connector for a typical smartphone. Furthermore, the height T of the support surface 15s, based on the lower end of the cradle main body 1A, is set larger than the protruding dimension of a connector for a typical smartphone. For example, if a smartphone has a connection port at the center of its lower surface when placed vertically, the connector at the other end of the connection cord connected to the USB connector 313 can be accommodated in the gap between the pair of holders 15. Furthermore, the lower end of the connector protruding downward from the smartphone is positioned higher than the lower end of the cradle main body 1A, so it does not interfere with the vehicle dashboard or the like. Avoiding interference, such as the connector pressing against the vehicle side, can prevent deformation of the connector, damage to the vehicle side, and breakage of the electric cord drawn from the connector. It is also a good idea to ensure a sufficient height T, taking into account the access dimensions of the connector, so that the connector can be connected to a smartphone placed vertically.

[0101] The radar cradle 1 of this embodiment achieves a very simple structure that can accommodate smartphones of various sizes. In particular, the holding structure using the pivoting arm 13 of this embodiment utilizes the space on the outer periphery of the housing 10 and does not occupy any space on the inner periphery. If the space on the inner periphery of the housing 10 were to be occupied, it would be necessary to place an electronic circuit board or other device on top of the holding structure, or it would be necessary to place the electronic circuit board around the holding structure, which would likely increase the thickness dimension and the occupied area on the front side. By adopting the holding structure of this embodiment, which utilizes the space on the outer periphery of the housing 10 as described above, the space on the inner periphery of the housing 10 can be used exclusively to accommodate electronic components such as electronic circuit boards, thereby suppressing the increase in thickness dimension and the occupied area on the front side, enabling a compact design. Furthermore, if the inner periphery of the housing 10 could be used as an area for arranging electronic circuits, it would be possible to place, for example, an LCD display screen on the inner periphery 110. Furthermore, in the radar cradle 1 of this example, the outer edge shape of the pivot arm 13 when in the storage position is approximately the same as the outer edge shape of the housing 10 when viewed from the front. The pivot arm 13 in the storage position is stored integrally with the housing 10, which significantly improves the aesthetic appearance, especially when the smartphone is not held.

[0102] The radar cradle 1 in this example is equipped with a switching means for selecting an operating mode that disables the GPS function. When a smartphone with a GPS function is held, this operating mode can be selected, enabling cooperation with the smartphone. It is also possible to acquire the current position measured by the smartphone and issue a GPS alert. Alternatively, if a smartphone with a GPS function is held, the radar cradle 1 can transfer its GPS content to the smartphone and have the smartphone issue a GPS alert.

[0103] In the radar cradle 1 of this example, the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface of the guide roller 130 is set to approximately 8 degrees. This inclination angle should preferably be set to approximately 5 to 10 degrees. If the inclination angle is below this range, the smartphone will easily fall out toward the front. If the inclination angle exceeds this range, dents may occur in the silicone cover that is sometimes used as a cover for the smartphone.

[0104] In this radar cradle 1, a screw support 116 that is provided inside the cradle main body 1A and does not protrude toward the mounting surface (surface of the inner circumferential portion 110) of the smartphone 100 or the like is used as the rotation axis of the rotating arm 13. By adopting a structure in which the rotation axis of the rotating arm 13 does not protrude toward the mounting surface in this way, when the smartphone 100 or the like is placed in the inner region of the guide roller 130 and the holder 15, the rotation axis and the like that constitute the rotation mechanism of the rotating arm 13 do not interfere with the smartphone 100 or the like.

[0105] As described above, the radar cradle 1 of this example is a convenient and versatile in-vehicle device that can hold smartphones of various sizes. For typical palm-sized smartphones, it can be placed either vertically or horizontally, improving the usability of the smartphone when it is mounted in the vehicle.

[0106] Instead of the configuration of this example, operation switches that are frequently operated while holding the smartphone 100 or the like may be disposed on the tip surface of the holder 15 or the guide roller 130. These tip surfaces will not be hidden when the smartphone 100 is held. Furthermore, it is also preferable to dispose an indicator lamp on these tip surfaces. The guide rollers 130 may be configured to be changeable depending on the portable device being held. For example, for portable devices with a large thickness dimension, such as a slide-type mobile phone, a guide roller 130 that is long in the axial direction is attached, while for holding a thin smartphone, a short guide roller 130 can be attached to reduce the protrusion on the front side of the smartphone. Reducing the protrusion on the front side of the smartphone can improve the aesthetics and visibility of the display screen.

[0107] Although this example illustrates a radar cradle 1 having a radar detector function, the electronic circuits housed in the cradle main body 1A may also realize other functions. For example, various functions can be incorporated into the cradle main body 1A, such as a music player function, a video player function, various communication functions, a navigation function, a function for displaying various vehicle data such as vehicle speed and coolant temperature, a drive recorder function, an air purifier function, and a driver monitoring function such as alertness. The function housed inside may be only a circuit for supplying power to a mobile device such as a smartphone.

[0108] In this example, the support portion is made up of a pair of holders 15, but instead of this example, the underside of the smartphone may be supported by a single holder with a certain width, or the smartphone may be supported by three or more holders. In this example, the two holders 15 that make up the support portion are provided with the same specifications, but some specifications such as width may differ. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a new pivot arm separate from pivot arm 13 and attach the holder to its tip. By combining pivot arm 13 of guide roller 130 with the pivot arm of the holder, it is possible to expand the range of variation, particularly of the vertical spacing V (see Figure 24). If it is not necessary to expand the range of variation of the vertical spacing, a similar range of variation to this example can be achieved with a more compact design.

[0109] If the smartphone has a GPS function, the GPS alert program and the GPS content database may be installed on the smartphone. In this case, the smartphone's hardware resources can be used to execute the GPS alert. Furthermore, while only the GPS alert program is installed on the smartphone, the smartphone may be configured to access the GPS content in the database 300 via a connection cord connected to the USB connector 313. Furthermore, the smartphone may access the database 300 via wireless communication such as Bluetooth. The GPS alert program may be installed by downloading the program from a server on the Internet to the smartphone via an Internet line, or by downloading the program via a memory card or the like. Furthermore, the program may be downloaded from the radar cradle 1 to the smartphone via a connection cord or wireless communication.

[0110] It is also possible to add a means for detecting whether the smartphone is held in portrait or landscape orientation. Smartphones and the like are generally configured so that the GPS receiver has good sensitivity when held in portrait orientation. Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which the smartphone's GPS function is used when portrait orientation is detected, and the smartphone's GPS function is disabled and the radar cradle 1's GPS function is used when held in landscape orientation. A means for detecting portrait or landscape orientation, for example, may be provided in which multiple light-receiving elements are vertically arranged on the inner circumferential portion 110 of the cradle main body 1A, and light reception by a light-receiving element positioned higher than the guide roller 130 is detected. When a smartphone or the like is held in the cradle, if light reception is detected by a light-receiving element positioned higher than the guide roller 130, it is determined that the smartphone is held in landscape orientation. If light reception is blocked by the light-receiving element, it is determined that the smartphone is held in portrait orientation.

[0111] Alternatively, one push button may be provided on each of the left and right sides of the inner circumferential portion 110 of the cradle main body 1A. For example, if the push buttons are in contact with the back of a smartphone placed vertically, the right push button can be operated by pressing the upper right part of the smartphone with a finger, and the left push button can be operated by pressing the upper left part. In this way, the radar cradle 1 can be operated via the smartphone. It is preferable to realize virtual operation buttons on the smartphone's display screen that perform the functions of the radar cradle 1's operation buttons. In this case, settings of the radar cradle 1 can be performed by tapping on the smartphone's display screen.

[0112] Example 2 This example is an example in which the shape specifications are changed based on the radar cradle 1 of Example 1. This will be described with reference to Figs. FIG. 28 shows an example of a radar cradle 1 in which support parts for the rotary arms 13 are provided on the portions of the cradle main body 1A that are rectangular in shape at the front and that contact the shoulders of the cradle main body 1A. Figure 29 shows an example based on the radar cradle 1 of Figure 28, in which one of the rotating arms 13 is eliminated and a guide roller 130 that moves up and down is provided. This guide roller 130 can move linearly back and forth along an advance / retract groove 138, and is biased toward the position shown by a coil spring 139 housed in the advance / retract direction. Figure 30 shows an example in which the rotating arm 13 is eliminated and a pair of guide rollers 130 that move forward and backward in a diagonal direction is provided. In this radar cradle 1, a pair of guide rollers 130 that move forward and backward linearly are arranged diagonally using a mechanism similar to that shown in Figure 29. As in Figure 29, each guide roller 130 is biased toward the position shown by a coil spring 139.

[0113] 31 to 43 show different designs of radar cradles that are provided with a pair of pivot arms 13 similar to the radar cradle 1 in FIG. The design in Figure 31 is a simple design in which the main body is an extruded shape with an octagonal cross section, and the rotation axis of the rotating arm 13 and the rear mounting part are separate parts. For ease of operation, the operation switches are arranged in two rows with a gap between them, and the LED display is also arranged in two rows, making use of the space. The design in Figure 32 aims to make the exterior look simple and slim by integrating smooth lines and creating large surfaces. With operability in mind, the operation switches are concentrated in the center, and relays of LEDs arranged around them are expected to flash. The design in Figure 33 expresses a robotic image in the operation and display section in response to user requests for a "robot-like image." In addition to the robotic design of the rotating arm 13 and holder 15, the lens shape of the operation switches and LED display section is designed to resemble the cockpit of Gundam (a robot character) from the popular anime, and the "pilot-assist" R2D2 (a movie character). The design in Figure 34 has a spherical image at the top, making it the head of a "friendly" robot, and the whole design has a mechanical, voluminous feel. The display and operation unit are positioned so that they can be recognized as a "face," and the operation switches are designed to resemble smartphone icons. The design in Figure 35 places the display and operation unit in an area that smoothly connects to the cylindrical head, and combines the rear mounting part (base) and holder 15 into a single volume, creating a design that is expressed as a "mass" with a sense of unity and weight. The design in Figure 36 was inspired by the ultra-organic shape of a PC mouse, and was created in pursuit of a robotic image that combines "living organisms" and "mechanisms," aiming for a form whose curves can be seen from all sides. The LED display is arranged in a ring around the "face" operating switch so that it appears to be operating in an "intelligent, living" manner. The design in Figure 37 is based on the image of a cyborg-type robot that combines a "living organism" and a machine, and pursues an organic form. Avoiding the smartphone connection cable, the operation switches are placed on the front and the display at the back, improving operability. The design in Figure 38 is based on the image of a cyborg-type robot that combines a "living organism" and a machine, and pursues an organic form. The operation switches and displays are all located at the bottom, making them easy to operate and recognize. The design in Figure 39 is a fusion of an organic image and a "robot" shape. The volume of the holder 15 has been reduced and the space created has been used to place the display and operation switches, improving operation and visibility. The design in Figure 40 is a fusion of an organic image and a "robot" shape. The volume of the holder 15 has been reduced and the space created has been used to place the display and operation switches, improving operation and visibility. The design in Figure 41, in line with the removal of the "shoulder" portion, has been designed to be compatible with smartphones by eliminating unnecessary decorations such as "points" on the top surface and operation switches as much as possible. The design in Figure 42, in line with the removal of the "shoulder" portion, has been designed to be more suited to smartphones by eliminating as much of the "point" on the top surface, the bulge on the back, and unnecessary design elements such as operation switches. The design in Figure 43 removes the awkward "shoulder" part and integrates the rotating arm 13, bringing the product's exterior closer to the "seamless" concept. Care has been taken to ensure that the smartphone power supply does not hide the operation and display section. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0114] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above as in Examples 1 and 2, these specific examples merely disclose examples of the technology encompassed by the claims. Needless to say, the scope of the claims should not be construed as being limited by the configurations, numerical values, etc. of the specific examples. The claims encompass technologies resulting from various modifications or alterations of the specific examples utilizing publicly known technology and the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 Radar cradle (vehicle equipment) 1A Cradle body 10. Cabinet 101 Storage unit 11 Cover 117 Storage Unit 116 Screw support 12 cases 127 Storage Unit 13 Rotating arm (arm) 130 Guide roller (guide part) 132 Rotating Roller 14 Torsion coil spring 15 Holder (support part) 15s support surface 171~176 Operation switch (operation part) 2 brackets 30 Control Unit 300 databases 312 Slide switch (switching means) 315 GPS module 316 RD module 324 Wireless Module

Claims

[Claim 1] A radar detector that can hold a smartphone, GPS function, a function of detecting whether the smartphone is held in a first position or a second position; a function of not using the GPS function when the smartphone is in the first position and using the GPS function when the smartphone is in the second position; Equipped with A radar detector characterized by:

Images