Circuit

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to ascertain the opened / closed state of a door from the lighting state of an interior light (11), even when an input terminal (I) of an interior light switch (12) is connected to an ON terminal (ON). A circuit (1) according to one embodiment comprises: an interior light (11) attached to a vehicle; an interior light switch (12); a battery (13); a courtesy switch (14) provided to a door of the vehicle; a diode (15); and an output circuit (16) including a relay coil (161) and an operation switch (162).

Description

Circuit

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit.

[0002] FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional circuit for turning on a room lamp of a vehicle.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 2, a conventional circuit 100 includes a room lamp 11 attached to a vehicle, a room lamp switch 12, a battery 13, and a courtesy switch 14 provided on a door of the vehicle.

[0004] The courtesy switch 14 is configured to be closed when the door is open and to be open when the door is closed.

[0005] According to this configuration, when the door is opened in a state where the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the door terminal Door (a state where the room lamp switch 12 is interlocked with the door), the room lamp 11 is configured to light up.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication Showa 58-188732, Japanese Patent Publication Showa 61-160327

[0007] However, in the conventional circuit, when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal, there has been a problem that the open / closed state of the door cannot be grasped from the lighting state of the room lamp 11.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a circuit that can grasp the open / closed state of a door from the lighting state of the room lamp 11 even when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal.

[0009] A circuit according to one embodiment comprises a room lamp installed in a vehicle, a room lamp switch, a battery, a courtesy switch provided on the door of the vehicle, a diode, and an output circuit including a relay coil and an operating switch. The operating switch is open when the relay coil is not operating, and is configured to connect the output terminal and the close terminal when the relay coil is operating. The room lamp switch is configured to connect its input terminal to either the on terminal, the door terminal, or the off terminal. The courtesy switch is configured to close when the door is open and open when the door is closed. The output terminal of the operating switch is connected to the GPIO pin, and the close terminal of the operating switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the room lamp. The gist of this is that one terminal of the relay coil is connected to one terminal of the lamp, one terminal of the relay coil is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and one terminal of the room lamp, the other terminal of the relay coil is connected to the anode of the diode, the cathode of the diode is connected to the Door terminal and one terminal of the courtesy switch, the positive terminal of the battery is connected to the Close terminal of the operating switch, one terminal of the relay coil and one terminal of the room lamp, the negative terminal of the battery is grounded and connected to the On terminal and the other terminal of the courtesy switch, the Door terminal is connected to the cathode of the diode and one terminal of the courtesy switch, and the On terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the other terminal of the courtesy switch.

[0010] According to the present invention, even when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal, it is possible to provide a circuit that can determine the open / closed state of the door from the lighting state of the loop lamp 11.

[0011] One application of this circuit is vehicle theft prevention. Vehicle theft methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making theft prevention difficult and a social problem. When a vehicle is stolen, the procedure always involves opening the door and then starting the engine. In the case of electric vehicles, the procedure involves starting the engine. If the event of the door being opened while the vehicle's security system is activated can be detected as quickly as possible, it becomes possible to prevent the subsequent engine starting or starting operation. In other words, this invention is effective in preventing vehicle theft.

[0012] Furthermore, to reduce the load on the vehicle's battery, the in-vehicle unit incorporates a sleep mode function that minimizes power consumption when not in use. If the system can quickly detect when a door is opened, it can quickly switch from sleep mode to normal mode. This can also be applied to vehicle theft prevention; if an anti-theft device is installed, it can be activated immediately.

[0013] Figure 1 shows an example of a circuit 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 shows an example of a conventional circuit 100.

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of dimensions, etc., may differ from those of reality. Therefore, specific dimensions, etc., should be determined by referring to the following description. Furthermore, there may be parts in the drawings where the relationships and ratios of dimensions differ from those of other parts. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustration.

[0015] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a circuit 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the circuit 1 according to this embodiment.

[0016] The circuit 1 according to this embodiment is a circuit for controlling the illumination of the vehicle's interior lamp 11.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the circuit 1 according to this embodiment includes a room lamp 11 installed in the vehicle, a room lamp switch 12, a battery 13, a courtesy switch 14 provided in the vehicle door, a diode 15, and an output circuit 16 including a relay coil 161 and an operating switch 162.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, one terminal of the room lamp 11 (terminal 11A) is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 13, one terminal of the relay coil 16 (terminal 161A), and the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12.

[0019] The room lamp switch 12 is configured to connect its input terminal I to either the ON terminal, the Door terminal, or the OFF terminal.

[0020] In this state, when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal (i.e., the room lamp switch 12 is turned ON), the room lamp 11 will be illuminated.

[0021] On the other hand, when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the OFF terminal (i.e., the room lamp switch 12 is turned off), the room lamp 11 will be turned off.

[0022] Furthermore, when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the door terminal Door (i.e., the room lamp switch 12 is set to be door-linked), the room lamp 11 turns on when the door is opened and turns off when the door is closed.

[0023] Furthermore, the Door terminal of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the cathode of the diode 15 and terminal 14A (one of the terminals) of the courtesy switch 14.

[0024] Furthermore, the ON terminal of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the negative terminal of the battery 13 and terminal 14B (the other terminal) of the courtesy switch 14.

[0025] The positive terminal of the battery 13 is connected to the closed terminal C of the operating switch 162, terminal 161A (one terminal) of the relay coil 161, and terminal 11A (one terminal) of the room lamp 11. For example, in this embodiment, the voltage of the battery 13 is 12V.

[0026] Furthermore, the negative terminal of the battery 13 is grounded and connected to the ON terminal of the room lamp switch 12 and terminal 14b (the other terminal) of the courtesy switch 14.

[0027] The courtesy switch 14 is a switch that can detect the open or closed state of the door, and is configured to close when the door is open and open when the door is closed.

[0028] The cathode of diode 15 is connected to the Door terminal of the room lamp switch 12 and terminal 14A (one of the terminals) of the courtesy switch 14.

[0029] The anode of diode 15 is connected to terminal 161B (the other terminal) of relay coil 161.

[0030] One terminal of the relay coil 161 (terminal 161A) is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 13 and one terminal of the room lamp 11 (terminal 11A).

[0031] Terminal 161B (the other terminal) of the relay coil 161 is connected to the anode of the diode 15.

[0032] The operating switch 162 is open when the relay coil 161 is not operating, and is configured to connect the output terminal O and the close terminal C (i.e., close) when the relay coil 161 is operating.

[0033] Here, the output terminal O of the operating switch 162 is connected to the GPIO (General-Purpose Input / Output) pin.

[0034] GPIO pins can detect the state of connected switches and other devices. GPIO pins are configured to recognize a voltage level above a threshold as HIGH and a voltage level below a threshold as LOW.

[0035] Furthermore, the closed terminal C of the operating switch 62 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 13 and terminal 11A (one of the terminals) of the room lamp 11.

[0036] In the circuit 1 according to this embodiment, when the door is opened while the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the OFF terminal (the room lamp switch 12 is turned off), the courtesy switch 14 closes, current flows to the relay coil 161, the relay coil 161 operates, and the operating switch 162 closes.

[0037] As a result, 12V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH. In this embodiment, for example, the threshold voltage at the GPIP pin is assumed to be 10V.

[0038] Furthermore, in the circuit 1 according to this embodiment, when the door is closed while the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the OFF terminal (the room lamp switch 12 is turned off), the courtesy switch 14 opens, current stops flowing to the relay coil 161, the relay coil 161 stops operating, and the operating switch 162 opens.

[0039] As a result, 0V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is LOW.

[0040] In the circuit 1 according to this embodiment, when the door is opened while the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the door terminal Door (the room lamp switch 12 is set to be door-linked), the courtesy switch 14 closes, current flows to the relay coil 161, the relay coil 161 operates, and the operating switch 162 closes.

[0041] As a result, 12 V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH.

[0042] Further, in the circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, when the door is closed in a state where the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the door terminal Door (a state where the room lamp switch 12 is interlocked with the door), the courtesy switch 14 becomes open, no current flows through the relay coil 161, the relay coil 161 stops operating, and the operation switch 162 becomes open.

[0043] As a result, 0 V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is LOW.

[0044] In the circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, when the door is opened in a state where the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal (a state where the room lamp switch 12 is turned on), the courtesy switch 14 becomes closed, a current flows through the relay coil 161 to activate the relay coil 161, and the operation switch 162 becomes closed.

[0045] As a result, 12 V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH.

[0046] Further, in the circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, when the door is closed in a state where the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal (a state where the room lamp switch 12 is turned on), the courtesy switch 14 becomes open, no current flows through the relay coil 161, the relay coil 161 stops operating, and the operation switch 162 becomes open.

[0047] As a result, 0 V is input to the GPIO pin, and the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is LOW.

[0048] According to the present embodiment, when the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH, it recognizes that the door is in an open state, and when the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is LOW, it recognizes that the door is in a closed state. This allows grasping the open / closed state of the door from the lighting state of the room lamp 11 even when the input terminal I of the room lamp switch 12 is connected to the ON terminal.

[0049] As an application example of the present circuit, there is anti-theft for vehicles. Vehicle theft methods are becoming increasingly advanced, making anti-theft difficult and a social problem. In the case of theft, the procedure always involves opening the door before starting the engine. In the case of electric vehicles, the procedure involves an activation operation. According to the present embodiment, when the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH, it can quickly detect that the door has been opened. By promptly detecting the event that a door is opened while the vehicle security alarm is active, it becomes possible to block subsequent engine starting or activation operation. That is, according to the present invention, it is effective for preventing vehicle theft.

[0050] Furthermore, in order to reduce the load on the battery mounted on the vehicle, an on-vehicle device incorporates a sleep mode during periods when it is not in use, that is, a function that minimizes the power consumption of the on-vehicle device. According to the present embodiment, when the GPIO pin recognizes that the input voltage is HIGH, the event of a door opening can be detected promptly, and switching from the sleep mode to the normal mode can be performed quickly. This can also be applied to vehicle anti-theft, and when an on-vehicle device for vehicle anti-theft is mounted, the on-vehicle device can be activated immediately.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described in detail using the above embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the present specification. The present invention can be implemented as modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the description of the claims. Therefore, the description of the present specification is for illustrative purposes only, and does not have any limiting meaning on the present invention.

[0052] 1, 100...Circuit 11...Room lamp 12...Room lamp switch 13...Battery 14...Courtesy switch 15...Diode 16...Output circuit 161...Relay coil 162...Actuating switch

Claims

1. The system comprises a room lamp installed in the vehicle, a room lamp switch, a battery, a courtesy switch provided on the door of the vehicle, a diode, and an output circuit including a relay coil and an operating switch, wherein the operating switch is open when the relay coil is not operating, and is configured to connect the output terminal and the close terminal when the relay coil is operating, the room lamp switch is configured to connect the input terminal to either the on terminal, the door terminal, or the off terminal, the courtesy switch is configured to be closed when the door is open and open when the door is closed, the output terminal of the operating switch is connected to the GPIO pin, the close terminal of the operating switch is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and one of the terminals of the room lamp, one terminal of the relay coil is connected to the positive terminal of the battery and one of the terminals of the room lamp, the other terminal of the relay coil is connected to the anode of the diode, and the cathode of the diode is connected to the door terminal and one of the terminals of the courtesy switch. The positive terminal of the battery is connected to the closed terminal of the operating switch, one terminal of the relay coil, and one terminal of the room lamp; the negative terminal of the battery is grounded and connected to the ON terminal and the other terminal of the courtesy switch; the door terminal is connected to the cathode of the diode and one terminal of the courtesy switch; and the ON terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the other terminal of the courtesy switch.

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