Abstract:
A vehicle electronic control apparatus ( 1 ) includes an electronic control section ( 2 ) received in an accommodating cavity ( 23 ) in an instrument panel ( 22 ) in an automotive vehicle for controlling electronic equipments in the vehicle and a switch section ( 3 ) detachably attached to the electronic control section ( 2 ) for applying command signals to the electronic control section ( 2 ). The switch section ( 3 ) is provided with a communication function part ( 27 ) which serves as a local area network (LAN) manager so that the electronic control section ( 2 ) can control the electronic equipments. This construction enables an expensive electronic control section ( 2 ) to be used in common in different types of automotive vehicle regardless of presence or absence of the vehicle LAN. The switch section ( 3 ) having the communication function part ( 27 ) can utilize the vehicle LAN.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an electronic control apparatus for a vehicle which is attached to an instrument panel in a vehicle and controls a vehicle&#39;s electronic equipment through a local area network (LAN) installed in the vehicle. 
     Heretofore, a LAN in vehicle has included electronic equipments such as an air compressor, a suspension control, a compact disc (CD) changer and the like and communication cables such as wire harnesses and the like which interconnect such electronic equipments. An apparatus which controls the electronic equipments through the vehicle LAN may be formed together with a car audio unit or the like, which is fitted into an accommodating cavity in the center of an instrument panel in the vehicle. 
     Such an electronic control apparatus installed in a vehicle includes an electronic control section which controls the respective electronic equipments and a switch section having manual switches connected to the respective electronic equipments whereby a driver operates the equipments by the switches. The electronic control section has a communication function part of the vehicle LAN. The communication function part serves as a LAN manager which controls the electronic equipments through the vehicle LAN by way of time-division multiplex communication. The switch section is detachably coupled to the electronic control section by a simple interface, through which command signals from the manual switches are transferred to the electronic control section. 
     The driver can control the respective electronic equipments through the communication function part of the electronic control section by operating the manual switches of the vehicle electronic control apparatus, thereby enabling playback of a CD or turning on an air conditioner. 
     In general, a vehicle is provided with equipments or devices commensurate with its price. Thus, expensive vehicles are provided with various electronic equipments such as a car navigation system, audio system having a CD changer and the like, which cheaper vehicles are provided with only a cassette deck. Thus, electronic control apparatuses LAN include various types of equipment. Only in more expensive cars having various extra electronic equipuments fitted therein is an electronic control apparatus required with communication function part serving as a LAN manager. Consequently, it is necessary to prepare a vehicle electronic control apparatus or its electronic control section specific to the type of car. This results in an increase in the number of types of vehicle electronic equipment or electronic control section, an increase in the kinds of parts to be managed in the process and increased costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle electronic control apparatus which can effectively utilize a local area network (LAN) in vehicle and can be commonly applied to different types of vehicle. 
     A vehicle electronic control apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises: an electronic control section received in an accommodating cavity in an instrument panel in a vehicle provided with a local area network (LAN) for controlling electronic equipments in the vehicle; and a switch section connected to the electronic control section and having manual switches by which a driver provides command signals to the electronic control section. The switch section is provided with a communication function part which serves as a LAN manager so that the electronic control section can control the electronic equipments. 
     Preferably, the communication function part has a multiplex communication function. 
     In the vehicle electronic control apparatus, since the communication function part is provided in the switch section which is separate from the electronic control section, it is possible to prepare different types of switch section depending on whether a LAN system is present. It is thus possible to use a common electronic control section regardless of whether a LAN system exists. The switch section may be designed in compliance with an interior of vehicle. 
     In the event of providing the multiplex communication function in the communication function part, it is possible to decrease the number of communication cables such as wire harnesses since communication between the vehicle electronic control apparatus and the respective electronic equipments can be effected by multiplex communication. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle electronic control apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partial interior of an automotive vehicle, illustrating an attachment of the vehicle electronic control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 onto an instrument panel of the vehicle; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the vehicle electronic control apparatus shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a local area network (LAN) in the automotive vehicle. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 to  4 , an embodiment of a vehicle electronic control apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described below. 
     A vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  or an electronic control apparatus  1  installed in an automotive vehicle, shown in FIG. 1, comprises a switch panel  3  having manual switches  16  which a driver operates, a cover panel  4  which puts on the switch panel  3  at the front side and holds it, and an electronic control unit  2  which is detachably coupled to the switch panel  3  and is adapted to mount various kinds of electronic unit. 
     The electronic control unit  2  comprises a system-accommodating section  11  for containing each of electronic units which are selected by a grade of an automobile vehicle and a driver&#39;s taste and a control section  12  for controlling each of the electronic units  5  to  10  described below. The electronic units include for example, a system board such as a car navigation system board  5 , an audio visual (AV) system board  6 , an alternating current (AC) control board  7 , or the like, and a drive unit such as a cassette deck unit  8 , a compact disk (CD) drive unit  9 , an integrated circuit (IC) card drive unit  10  or the like. The control section  12  is connected through each wire harness (not shown) to each of the electronic units  5  to  10  contained in the system-accommodating section  11 . 
     The control section  12  controls electronic equipments such as a CD changer, an antilock brake system, a suspension system, and the like in cooperation with the electronic units  5  to  10  or independently of them. An antenna  14  for a global positioning system (GPS) and a vehicle information and communication system (VICS) are attached to a cover  13  of the system-accommodating section  11 . The antenna  14  is connected to the system-accommodating section  11  through the car navigation system board  5  and a wire harness (not shown). 
     The switch panel  3  is coupled to a connector  15  mounted on a front side of the control section  12  through a wire harness (not shown) or a connector (not shown). The switch panel  3  is provided with a communication function part  27  (see FIG. 3) which controls the communication between the vehicle electronic equipments and the control section  12  which controls the electronic units  5  to  10 . 
     Manual switches  16  which send manual command signals are disposed on the switch panel  3 . 
     The switch panel  3  is attached to the cover panel  4  at the rear side. The cover panel  4  is detachably attached to the electronic control unit  2  to enhance appearance of the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1 . 
     The cover panel  4  is provided with switch holes  17  through which the manual switches  16  on the switch panel  3  extend and openings  18  which receive an air outlet and a hazard switch. The cover panel  4  also supports a display holder  20  which holds a liquid crystal display  19 . The liquid crystal display  19  held on the display holder  20  is connected to a video controller (not shown) on the AV system board  6 . 
     The cover panel  4  and electronic control unit  2  are provided with slits  21  through which a cassette tape, a CD disc, or an IC card comes into and out of the respective drive units  8 ,  9 , and  10 . 
     The vehicle electronic control apparatus  1 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is fitted in an accommodating cavity  23  in an instrument panel  22  in the automotive vehicle, after the apparatus  1  is assembled as a single unit. 
     A bracket  24  is secured to the accommodating cavity  23  in the instrument panel  22  in order to fix the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  in the cavity  23 . A receiving connector  26  is secured to the bracket  24  so that a connector  25  for a bus is coupled to the receiving connector  26  when the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  is inserted into the bracket  24  in the accommodating cavity  23 . The connector  25  is mounted on the rear side of the system-accommodating section  11  (FIG. 1) of the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1 . 
     The bus connector  25  is connected through a wire harness (not shown) to a communication function part  27  (FIG. 3) on the switch panel  3 . The bus connector  25  is an output of data through the communication function part  27  from the control section  12  of the electronic control unit  2  and from the electronic units  5  to  10 . The receiving connector  26  is connected to a bus  34  of the vehicle LAN (FIG. 3) in which the control section  12  is connected to the electronic equipments to be controlled by the electronic units  5  to  10  (for example, an air compressor, a CD changer, an antilock brake system, a traction control system, and the like). The control section  12  can control the respective electronic equipments through the communication function part  27  and the LAN BUS  34  when the bus connector  25  mates with the receiving connector  26 . 
     Accordingly, when the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  is fitted in the accommodating cavity  23  in the instrument panel  22  in a built-in manner, the bus connector  25  is coupled to the receiving connector  26 , thereby completing a necessary wiring connection. This makes it simple to assemble the apparatus  1  in the vehicle. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1 , a command signal from the manual switch  16  on the switch panel  3  is transmitted through the communication function part  27  to the electronic control unit  2 . The communication function part  27  transmits the command signal from the manual switch  16  to the control section  12  of the electronic control unit  2 . 
     The communication function part  27 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is connected to the LAN BUS  34  for the vehicle LAN and controls the communication between the LAN BUS  34  and the control section  12  of the electronic control unit  2 . This communication utilizes a serial transmition according to the time-division multiplex communication. 
     To the LAN BUS  34  is connected to a system unit for vehicle movement such as an antilock brake system  35 , a traction control system  36 , rear and front suspension systems  37  and  38 , and the like, a system unit for air-conditioning such as an air compressor  39 , a CD changer  40 , and the like, and a door lock system unit  41  for locks and power windows in the respective doors. These system units are arranged at suitable positions in the automotive vehicle and are controlled unitedly by the control section  12  of the electronic control unit  2 . In this embodiment, the system units for vehicle movement  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38  are controlled by a program installed in the control section  12  beforehand. The system units for air-conditioning  39 ,  40 , are controlled by the control section  12  in cooperation with the electronic unit such as the AC control board  7 , the CD drive unit  9 , and the like. The door lock system unit  41  is controlled by the control section  12  in accordance with the command signal from the switch panel  3 . 
     The control section  12  of the electronic control unit  2  also controls the respective electronic units  5  to  10  in accordance with the indication from the switch panel  3  and the judgment by itself. 
     The control section  12  indicates on the liquid crystal display  19  a playback condition from a CD or a cassette tape, navigation information from the car navigation system board  5  and antenna  14 , and the like through the video controller  28  of the AV system board  6 . Also, the control section  12  mixes a voice from a radio set or a television set which receives electric waves through the antenna  29  by the audio controller  30  of the system board  6  or a voice from the CD or the cassette tape with a voice of a voice navigation from the car navigation system board  5  or the antenna  14  and then the mixed voice is output from a speaker  32  through an amplifier  31 . Accordingly, the driver can get the indication from the voice navigation without interrupting the music. 
     Also, the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  may receive the indication on the liquid crystal display  19  from the driver by so-called display touch formation. Software for carrying out this operation is installed in an IC card to be inserted in the IC card drive unit  10  and is made in version-up. 
     Further, the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  can be operated at a remote position by a remote controller  33 . 
     As described above, since the vehicle electronic control apparatus  1  includes the electronic control unit  2  and the switch panel  3  separated from the unit  2 , the switch panel  3  being provided with the communication function part  27  which controls the communication to the electronic equipmets  35 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ,  41  through the LAN BUS  34  for the vehicle LAN, it is possible to use in common the most expensive electronic control unit  2  among the various kinds of vehicle and to eliminate the preparation of another electronic control unit  2  when no LAN exists, thereby achieving a great cost-reduction in comparison with the prior art. In this case, addition and extension of the system boards  5 ,  6 ,  7  and/or the drive units  8 ,  9 ,  10  will reply to a change of a vehicle grade or a driver&#39;s taste. 
     It is necessary to prepare two kinds of switch panel  3 , that is the one having the communication function part  27  and the other having no part  27  in accordance with presence and absence of the vehicle LAN. However, since the switch panel  3  itself is very inexpensive in comparison with the electronic control unit  2 , there is no problem in general cost for a vehicle. Further, the switch panel  3  is one of electric devices which are difficult in common use among different type vehicles because the switch panel  3  itself is designed to accord with an interior of each vehicle. This will be of less problem. 
     It will be apparent from the foregoing that the vehicle electronic control apparatus of the present invention will contribute to cost-down of the vehicle because the electronic control section can be used in common among the various kinds of vehicle regardless of presence and absence of the vehicle LAN. 
     Also, the switch section separated from the electronic control section can effectively comply with the vehicle LAN, thereby reducing an impact to cost.