1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type such as an audio apparatus of the on-vehicle type, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type, which is mounted on a vehicle and which has a fan for cooling and/or removing dust.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, it is general that an audio apparatus such as a so-called car-radio, a cassette deck, a CD (Compact Disc) player or the like is mounted in a room or cabin of the vehicle, so as to serve music etc., to the users or passengers on the vehicle by the audio apparatus.
Recently, a so-called navigation apparatus is also generalized, which has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) device or the like in the cabin of the vehicle and helps a movement of the vehicle by displaying a necessary map etc., on the display device.
In such an audio apparatus or a navigation apparatus, a device which generates heat during the operation thereof (e.g., a CPU, an amplifier or the like) and a device which should not be heated up to a certain high temperature during the operation thereof (e.g., an MD (Mini Disc) drive or the like) may be commonly built-in. Thus, a fan for cooling is often built-in so as to restrain the temperature increase by heat from the device generating the heat.
When the supply of the electric power with respect to the audio apparatus or the navigation apparatus is started, the rotation of the fan is started at the same time so as to perform the cooling operation while the rotation speed of the fan (which is defined as a rotation number per unit time, hereinbelow) is constant.
There is recently such a tendency that the silence within the cabin is regarded as an important factor.
However, even if the cabin is designed to attach importance onto the silence, since the audio apparatus or the navigation apparatus is mounted in the cabin of the vehicle, the silence cannot be preserved because of the blowing sound due to the rotation of the fan within the audio apparatus or the navigation apparatus, which is a problem.
On the other hand, if the rotation speed of the fan is reduced since too much importance is attached onto the silence within the cabin, the cooling function of the fan cannot be fulfilled, so that the audio apparatus or the navigation apparatus may be failed due to the heat, which is another problem.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type, which can operate a fan for cooling or removing dust while preserving the silence in a cabin of the vehicle and at the same time preserving the rotation speed necessary for the fan, which is high enough to appropriately function.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by a first information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type provided with: a fan; a detecting device for detecting an operation status of a vehicle; and a controlling device, such as a CPU or the like, for controlling a rotation speed of the fan in accordance with the detected operation status.
According to the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the rotation speed of the fan is controlled in accordance with the operation status of the vehicle, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin of the vehicle as the unnecessary blowing sound of the fan is restrained by decreasing the rotation speed in case that the priority is given to the silence, for example. It is also possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan to fulfill the cooling function, the dust sucking function or the like, by increasing the rotation speed in case that the priority is not given to the silence (but to the prevention against a failure of the information processing apparatus, for example).
In this manner, it is possible to preserve both of the silence in the cabin and the necessary rotation speed of the fan, depending upon the operation status of the vehicle.
In one aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the detecting device comprises a silence degree detecting device, such as a voice microphone or the like, for detecting a degree of silence within a cabin of the vehicle, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected degree of silence is higher than a threshold degree of silence, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, and sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than the low speed, if the detected degree of silence is not higher than the threshold degree of silence.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the low speed or the rotation of the fan is stopped in case that it is silent in the cabin, and since the fan is rotated at the high speed in case that it is not silent in the cabin, it is possible to preserve both of the silence in the cabin by restraining the blowing sound of the fan and the necessary rotation speed of the fan.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the detecting device comprises a vehicle speed detecting device, such as a travel distance sensor or the like, for detecting a moving speed of the vehicle on the basis of a vehicle speed pulse signal outputted in response to the moving speed, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected moving speed is not higher than a threshold moving speed, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the low speed or the rotation of the fan is stopped in case that the vehicle is moving slowly, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin more surely.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the detecting device comprises a vehicle speed detecting device, such as a travel distance sensor or the like, for detecting a moving speed of the vehicle on the basis of a vehicle speed pulse signal outputted in response to the moving speed, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if the detected moving speed is higher than a threshold moving speed, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the high speed in case that the vehicle is moving fast, it is possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan if it can be assumed that it is not necessary to preserve the silence in the cabin as the vehicle is moving fast.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the detecting device comprises a vibration detecting device, such as an angular velocity sensor or the like, for detecting a vibration of the vehicle, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected vibration indicates the operation status that the vehicle is not moving.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the low speed or the rotation of the fan is stopped in case that the vehicle is not moving, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin more surely.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the detecting device comprises a vibration detecting device, such as an angular velocity sensor or the like, for detecting a vibration of the vehicle, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if the detected vibration indicates the operation status that the vehicle is vibrating by a certain magnitude.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the high speed in case that the vehicle is vibrating, it is possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan if it can be assumed that it is not necessary to preserve the silence in the cabin as the vehicle is vibrating.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a sound detecting unit, such as a voice microphone or the like, for detecting a sound in a cabin of the vehicle, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if a sound volume of the detected sound is not smaller than a threshold volume, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan in case that it is not actually silent in the cabin regardless of the operation status of the vehicle.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a sound detecting unit, such as a voice microphone or the like, for detecting a sound in a cabin of the vehicle, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if a sound volume of the detected sound is not larger than a threshold volume, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to restrain the generation of the blowing sound of the fan, which disturbs the silence in the cabin, in case that it is actually silent in the cabin regardless of the operation status of the vehicle.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a temperature detecting unit, such as a thermistor or the like, for detecting a temperature within the information processing apparatus, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if the detected temperature is not lower than a threshold temperature, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to cool the information processing apparatus by rotating the fan at the high speed, in case that the temperature in the information processing apparatus is actually high, regardless of the operation status of the vehicle.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a temperature detecting unit, such as a thermistor or the like, for detecting a temperature within the information processing apparatus, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected temperature is not higher than a threshold temperature, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin, by restraining the unnecessary blowing sound of the fan, in case that the temperature in the information processing apparatus is actually low, regardless of the operation status of the vehicle.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a second information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type provided with: a fan; a sound volume detecting device, such as a noise microphone or the like, for detecting a sound volume of a sound generated in a cabin of a vehicle; and a controlling device, such as a CPU or the like, for controlling a rotation speed of the fan in accordance with the detected sound volume.
According to the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the rotation speed of the fan is controlled in accordance with the sound volume of the sound in the cabin, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin of the vehicle as the unnecessary blowing sound of the fan is restrained by decreasing the rotation speed in case that the priority is given to the silence, for example. It is also possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan to fulfill the cooling function, the dust sucking function or the like, by increasing the rotation speed in case that the priority is not given to the silence (but to the prevention against a failure of the information processing apparatus, for example).
In this manner, it is possible to preserve both of the silence in the cabin and the necessary rotation speed of the fan, depending upon the operation status of the vehicle.
In one aspect of the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected sound volume is not larger than a threshold volume, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the low speed or the rotation of the fan is stopped in case that it is silent in the cabin, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin by restraining the unnecessary blowing sound of the fan.
In another aspect of the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if the detected sound volume is larger than a threshold volume, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation.
According to this aspect, since the fan is rotated at the high speed in case that it is not silent in the cabin, it is possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan in case that it is not actually silent in the cabin.
In another aspect of the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a temperature detecting unit, such as a thermistor or the like, for detecting a temperature within the information processing apparatus, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if the detected temperature is not lower than a threshold temperature, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the sound volume detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to cool the information processing apparatus by rotating the fan at the high speed in case that the temperature in the information processing apparatus is actually high, regardless of the sound volume of the sound in the cabin.
In another aspect of the second information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus further comprises a temperature detecting unit, such as a thermistor or the like, for detecting a temperature within the information processing apparatus, and the controlling device sets the rotation speed to a low speed, which is lower than a reference rotation speed, or stops a rotation of the fan if the detected temperature is not higher than a threshold temperature, which may be set in advance or may be changed in operation, regardless of a detection result of the sound volume detecting device.
According to this aspect, it is possible to preserve the silence in the cabin as the unnecessary blowing sound of the fan is restrained by rotating the fan at the low speed in case that the temperature in the information processing apparatus is actually low, regardless of the sound volume of the sound in the cabin.
The above object of the present invention can be also achieved by a third information processing apparatus of an on-vehicle type provided with: a fan; at least two of an operation status detecting device, such as a noise microphone or the like, for detecting an operation status of a vehicle, a sound detecting unit, such as a voice microphone or the like, for detecting a sound in a cabin of the vehicle and a temperature detecting unit, such as a thermistor or the like, for detecting a temperature within the information processing apparatus; and a controlling device, such as a CPU or the like, for setting a rotation speed of the fan to a high speed, which is higher than a reference rotation speed, if a detected value of at least one of the operation status detecting device, the sound detecting unit and the temperature detecting unit is higher than a threshold value, which is set in advance for each of the operation status detecting device, the sound detecting unit and the temperature detecting unit.
According to the third information processing apparatus of the present invention, since the rotation speed of the fan is set to the high speed in case that the detected value of either one of the detecting device is not less than the threshold value thereof, i.e., in case that the generation of the blowing sound of the fan is admitted, it is possible to preserve the necessary rotation speed of the fan, as the occasion demands.
In another aspect of the first information processing apparatus of the present invention, in another aspect of the second information processing apparatus of the present invention or in one aspect of the third information processing apparatus of the present invention, the information processing apparatus reproduces information supplied from a plurality of kinds of sources.
According to this aspect, in case that the information is reproduced in the cabin, it is possible to preserve both of the silence in the cabin and the necessary rotation speed of the fan, by controlling the rotation speed of the fan as the occasion demands.
The nature, utility, and further features of this invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.