Patent ID: 6130727
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: B60K

Abstract:
An on-vehicle unit installed in a vehicle dashboard, the unit comprising:a center module which incorporates therein at least one built-in unit having a predetermined function, has in at least one portion thereof a module loading section, and permits insertion or removal of at least one type of optional module having a predetermined function differing from the function of the at least one built-in unit, the at least one built-in unit in the center module includes a radio tuner unit having the function of receiving a radio broadcast and a navigation unit having the function of performing a predetermined road guiding operation;input receiving means which is provided in the center module and receives predetermined inputs by way of operation; andcentral control means which is provided in the center module and controls the at least one built-in unit and the optional module inserted into the module loading section, according to an operation input entered by way of the input receiving means, wherein the central control means has a plurality of control modes which can be switched according to the presence or absence of the optional module in the module loading section as well as according to a combination of the optional modules to be inserted into the module loading, section, the optional module being selected from a television tuner module having the function of receiving a television broadcast, a cassette deck module having the function of reproducing information recorded on a cassette tape and a navigation module having the function of receiving navigation information transmitted from an outside of the vehicle, and a disk player module having the function of reproducing the information recorded on a disk, the center module having a plurality of module loading sections capable of receiving these optional modules.