JPH117339A - On-vehicle equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily rewrite the program of a microcomputer housed in an on- vehicle equipment. SOLUTION: In an on-vehicle equipment on which a microcomputer 2 and a memory 3 for storing a program are loaded, a decorative button 15 is provided so as to be freely attachable and detachable at a front panel 12 to which operation buttons 14 are attached, and a connector 4 connected with the memory is arranged at the corresponding position. At the time of rewriting a program, the decorative button 15 is detached from the front panel 12, and a program rewriting device is connected with the connector 4. Thus, the program rewriting work can be easily attained. Also, the operation buttons 14 can be used instead of the decorative button 15. Moreover, at the time of using a movable front unit, a connector can be arranged at the back face.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an on-vehicle device such as an audio device mounted on an automobile, and more particularly to an on-vehicle device having a microcomputer and a memory storing a program for defining the operation of the microcomputer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle-mounted device such as an audio device, a program of a microcomputer may be changed when a problem occurs in the device or when the specification of the device is changed. Conventionally, to change the program of the microcomputer stored in the in-vehicle device, remove the memory storing the program and connect it to the program rewriting device, or, with the memory attached to the in-vehicle device, install the program rewriting device in the memory The connection was rewriting the program.

[0003]

As described above, when connecting the program rewriting device, it is troublesome to remove the memory from the vehicle-mounted device or to connect the program rewriting device to the memory housed in the vehicle-mounted device. In addition to this, the in-vehicle device and the automobile may be damaged during the detaching operation or the connecting operation.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily rewrite a program of a microcomputer stored in a vehicle-mounted device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above object. The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device equipped with a microcomputer and a memory storing a program that defines the operation of the microcomputer. A button is provided, and a connector connected to the memory is arranged at a position corresponding to the decorative button inside the vehicle-mounted device.

When the decorative button is removed from the front panel at the time of rewriting the program, the connector is exposed to the outside through the opening of the front panel. When the connector of the program rewriting device is connected to this connector, the program rewriting device is connected to the memory storing the program. In this state, the microcomputer program is rewritten. The connection operation at this time is very simple, since it is completed only by removing the decorative button on the front panel and connecting the connectors. In addition, the above connection operation does not damage the in-vehicle equipment and the automobile.

In the present invention, instead of the decorative button, an operation button for operating a switch provided on the front panel can be used. In this case, the operation buttons are detachably provided on the front panel, and the connector connected to the memory is arranged side by side with the switch operated by the operation buttons. Also in this example, the same operation and effect as in the case of the decorative button described above can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, when the vehicle-mounted device does not have a front panel but uses a front unit movably provided on the front of the vehicle-mounted device, the connector is arranged on the back side of the front unit. Can be. in this case,
An opening is provided on the back of the front unit, and the connector is arranged inside the front unit at a position corresponding to the opening. When rewriting a program, the front unit is moved to a position where the opening provided on the back of the front unit can be seen from the outside, and the program rewriting device is connected to the connector from the opening.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the on-board device and the program rewriting device. In FIG. 1, 1 is a vehicle-mounted device such as an audio device, and 2 is housed in the vehicle-mounted device 1.
A microcomputer (CPU) for controlling each part in the vehicle-mounted device 1;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a flash memory that stores a program that defines the operation of the microcomputer 2. 4 is a flash memory 3
And the connector connected to it. Although the program is stored in the flash memory 3 in the illustrated example, the flash memory 3 is omitted when the program is stored in the memory in the microcomputer 2.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a rom writer which is a program rewriting device. Reference numeral 6 denotes a connector provided on the rom lighter 5. When rewriting the program,
The connector 4 of the in-vehicle device 1 and the connector 6 of the rom writer 5 are connected, and the program stored in the flash memory 3 is rewritten by the rom writer 5. FIG.
Is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 1, (a) is a front view,
(B) is a side sectional view.

The illustrated vehicle-mounted device 1 is, for example, an operation unit of an audio device, and has a front panel 12 provided on a front surface of a main body case 11. On the surface of the front panel 12,
A display device 13 such as a liquid crystal panel, various operation buttons 14, and a decoration button 15 are provided. In the body case 11,
A printed wiring board 17 is arranged on the back side of the front panel 12. A switch 16 is arranged on the printed wiring board 17 so as to face the operation button 14, and the connector 4 is arranged corresponding to the decoration button 15.

Further, in the main body case 11, various electronic components (not shown), a microcomputer 2 for controlling the electronic components, and a flash memory 3 storing a program for defining the operation of the microcomputer 2 are stored. The microcomputer 2 and the flash memory 3 are arranged on a common printed wiring board 18,
The flash memory 3 is connected to the connector 4. FIG.
3A and 3B are views showing a mounting structure of the decorative button 15 and the connector 4, wherein FIG. 3A is a front view, and FIG.

A bent portion 21 is provided in the opening of the front panel 12 toward the inside of the vehicle-mounted device 1. A cushion member 22 is attached to the printed wiring board 17 so as to face the bent portion 21. As the cushion member 22, rubber, sponge, plastic, or the like can be used.
A flange portion 23 is formed on the decorative button 15 toward the outside. The flange portion 23 is held between the bent portion 21 and the cushion member 17. Decorative button 15
Is formed of a deformable material, the decorative button 15 can be detached from the front panel 12 by applying a force in the direction of the illustrated arrow to detach the flange portion 23 from the bent portion 21.

When the decorative button 15 is removed, the connector 4 is exposed from the opening of the front panel 12 to the surface. Therefore, the connector 4 connected to the flash memory 3
And the connector 6 of the rom writer 5 can be easily connected, and the program stored in the flash memory 3 is rewritten by the rom writer 5. According to this example, the program can be rewritten simply by removing the decorative button 15 from the front panel 12 and connecting the connectors 4 and 6 to each other. Therefore, preparation work can be performed easily, and
When performing this operation, the vehicle and the on-vehicle equipment are not damaged.

2 and 3 described above, the front panel 1 is used to hide the connector 4 provided inside the vehicle-mounted device 1.
Although the decorative button 15 is provided on the connector 2, the connector 4 can be hidden by using the operation button 14. FIG. 4 is a view showing a mounting structure of the operation button 14 and the connector 4 when the connector 4 is hidden by using one of the operation buttons 14,
(A) is a front view, (b) is a side sectional view. The arrangement of the operation buttons 14 shown in FIG. 4 is similar to that of FIG.
In this case, the decoration button 15 in FIG. 2 is omitted.

In FIG. 4, an operation button 14 has substantially the same configuration as the decorative button 15 of FIG. 3 described above.
9. The switch 16 is mounted on the printed wiring board 17 at a position corresponding to the operating body 29, and the connector 4 is arranged alongside the switch 16. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 3 described above, and thus redundant description will be omitted.

FIG. 4 shows the operation body 2 of the operation button 14.
Since 9 is remote from switch 16, switch 16 is off. When the operation button 14 is pressed in the direction of the black arrow, the operation body 29 presses the actuator of the switch 16, so that
The switch 16 turns on. In addition, the operation button 14
When a force is applied as shown by the white arrow in the figure, the operation button 14 is deformed, and the flange 23 is disengaged from the bent portion 22 of the front panel 21.
2 can be removed. When the operation button 14 is removed, the connector 4 is exposed to the surface from the opening of the front panel 12, so that the connector 6 of the rom lighter 5 can be easily connected. Other points are the same as those in the above-described example of FIG.

In the example described above, the connector 4 is hidden by using a decoration button or an operation button provided on the front panel 12 of the vehicle-mounted device 1. However, the vehicle-mounted device 1 uses a movable front unit. If so, the connector 4 can be arranged on the back side of the front unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the connector 4 is arranged on the back side of the front unit.
(A) is a front view, (b) is a side view. (C)
FIG. 3 is a side view showing, in a partial cross section, a state in which the front unit is turned down to enable connection with the connector 4 in order to connect with the rom lighter 5.

A front unit 25 is movably mounted on the main body case 24. The display device 13 and various operation buttons 14 are arranged on the surface of the front unit 25. At the time of rewriting the program, the front unit 25 is moved forward as shown in FIG. An opening 27 is formed on the back surface of the front unit 25, and a seal 28 is attached. A printed wiring board 26 is arranged inside the front unit 25,
At a position corresponding to the opening 27, a connector 4 connected to the flash memory 3 is attached. Therefore,
By peeling off the seal 28, the connector 6 of the rom writer 5 can be connected to the connector 4 connected to the flash memory 3 through the opening 27. After the rewriting of the program is completed, the seal 28 is put on the opening 27 again.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, since the connectors 4 and 6 can be connected only by turning down the front unit 25 and peeling off the seal 28, the program rewriting operation can be easily performed. Further, since the rear surface of the front unit 25 is not usually noticeable, the connector 4 can be hidden with a simple structure in which a seal 28 is attached.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between an in-vehicle device to which the present invention is applied and a program rewriting device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle-mounted device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a mounting structure of a decorative button and a connector of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a modification of FIG. 3, showing an attachment structure of an operation button and a connector;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a different configuration of an in-vehicle device to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... In-vehicle equipment 2 ... Microcomputer 3 ... Flash memory 4 ... Connector 5 ... Rom writer 6 ... Connector 11 ... Main body case 12 ... Front panel 13 ... Display device 14 ... Operation button 15 ... Decoration button 16 ... Switch 17, 18 ... Print wiring Board 21 ... Bending part 22 ... Cushion member 23 ... Flange 25 ... Front unit 26 ... Printed wiring board 27 ... Opening 28 ... Seal 29 ... Operation body

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An in-vehicle device equipped with a microcomputer and a memory storing a program for defining the operation of the microcomputer, a front panel provided on the front of the in-vehicle device and having a switch operation button mounted thereon, A decorative button removably provided on the vehicle, and a connector disposed in the vehicle-mounted device at a position corresponding to the decorative button and connected to the memory, and removing the decorative button from the front panel. The on-vehicle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a program rewriting device can be connected to the connector from the removed portion. 2. An in-vehicle device equipped with a microcomputer and a memory storing a program that defines the operation of the microcomputer, a front panel provided on the front of the in-vehicle device and having an operation button for operating a switch, An operation button attached to the front panel,
One operation button removably provided on the front panel, and a connector disposed inside the vehicle-mounted device at a position corresponding to the operation button and connected to the memory, wherein the operation button is An in-vehicle device characterized in that a program rewriting device can be connected to the connector from a location where the program rewriting device has been removed from a front panel. 3. An in-vehicle device equipped with a microcomputer and a memory storing a program for defining the operation of the microcomputer, a front unit movably provided on a front surface of the in-vehicle device, Provided in the front unit, at a position corresponding to the opening, and a connector connected to the memory, wherein a program rewriting device can be connected to the connector from the opening. Characteristic in-vehicle equipment.