1. A vehicular input device for receiving an input to an in-vehicle display from a driver, the device comprising:
a contactless operation detecting unit configured to detect a contactless operation on the in-vehicle display;
at least one distance detecting unit configured to detect a distance to an object present in a vehicle;
a distance information storage unit in which distance information obtained from the at least one distance detecting unit is stored for each of the at least one distance detecting unit for a predetermined period of time;
a proximity object determining unit configured to determine whether or not the object is in the proximity of any of at least one predetermined specific position in the vehicle based on the distance information stored in the distance information storage unit; and
a detecting operation controlling unit configured to limit the detection by the contactless operation detecting unit when the proximity object determining unit determines that the object is in the proximity of any of the at least one specific position.
2. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein the at least one distance detecting unit is disposed in the vehicle to detect that at least a part of the body of the driver is in the proximity of at least one operation device for driving the vehicle, and
the at least one specific position is a position of the at least one operation device.
3. The vehicular input device according to claim 2,
wherein the at least one operation device is for operating at least one of a steering wheel, a gearshift lever, a windshield wiper switch, and a direction indicator switch.
4. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein the at least one distance detecting unit is disposed around a position where the driver frequently places a hand when driving, and
the at least one specific position is the position where the driver frequently places the hand when driving.
5. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein the proximity object determining unit includes:
at least one proximity object detecting unit configured to compare the distance information obtained from the distance information storage unit and a preset threshold value, and output proximity detection information when the distance information has a value less than or equal to the threshold value; and
a proximity time determining unit configured to determine that the object is in the proximity of any of the at least one specific position when the proximity detection information is outputted from any of the at least one proximity object detecting unit for a preset period of time.
6. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein the detecting operation controlling unit is configured to limit at least any one of sensitivity, a detection range, and sampling time of the contactless operation detecting unit.
7. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the contactless operation detecting unit and the distance detecting unit is one of a proximity sensor, an illuminance sensor, and a pyroelectric sensor.
8. The vehicular input device according to claim 1,
wherein the contactless operation detecting unit is configured to detect, as the contactless operation, a hand of the driver for operation in the proximity of the in-vehicle display, or a hand gesture of the driver such as waving the hand, swinging the hand, and pointing toward the in-vehicle display.
9. The vehicular input device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a contact detecting unit disposed on at least one operation device and configured to detect that the object is in contact with the at least one operation device, the at least one operation device being used for driving the vehicle;
a contacting information storage unit in which contacting information obtained from the contact detecting unit is stored for a predetermined period of time; and
a contacting object determining unit configured to determine whether or not the object is in contact with any of at least one predetermined specific position in the vehicle based on the contacting information stored in the contacting information storage unit,
wherein the detecting operation controlling unit is configured to limit the detection by the contactless operation detecting unit when the proximity object determining unit determines that the object is in the proximity of any of the at least one operation device, or when the contacting object determining unit determines that the object is in contact with any of the at least one operation device.
10. The vehicular input device according to claim 9,
wherein the contacting object determining unit includes:
a contacting object detecting unit configured to output contact detection information based on the contacting information obtained from the contacting information storage unit; and
a contacting time determining unit configured to determine that the object is in contact with any of the at least one operation device when the contact detection information is outputted from the contacting object detecting unit for the preset period of time.
11. The vehicular input device according to claim 9,
wherein the contact detecting unit is either a capacitance touch sensor or a resistive touch sensor.
12. A vehicular input method for receiving an input to an in-vehicle display from a driver, the method comprising:
detecting, by a contactless operation detecting unit, a contactless operation on the in-vehicle display;
detecting, by at least one distance detecting unit, a distance to an object present in a vehicle;
storing, in a distance information storage unit, distance information obtained from each of the at least one distance detecting unit for each of the at least one distance detecting unit for a predetermined period of time;
determining, by a proximity object determining unit, whether or not the object is in the proximity of any of at least one predetermined specific position in the vehicle based on the distance information stored in the distance information storage unit; and
limiting, by a detecting operation controlling unit, the detection by the contactless operation detecting unit when the proximity object determining unit determines that the object is in the proximity of any of the at least one specific position.
13. The vehicular input method according to claim 12, further comprising:
detecting, by a contact detecting unit, that the object is in contact with at least one operation device, the contact detecting unit being disposed on the at least one operation device for driving the vehicle;
storing, in a contacting information storage unit, contacting information obtained from the contact detecting unit for a predetermined period of time; and
determining, by a contacting object determining unit, whether or not the object is in contact with any of at least one predetermined specific position in the vehicle based on the contacting information stored in the contacting information storage unit,
wherein in the limiting, the detection by the contactless operation detecting unit is limited when the proximity object determining unit determines that the object is in the proximity of any of the at least one operation device or when the contacting object determining unit determines that the object is in contact with any of the at least one operation device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An adapter device for housing a multi-phase low voltage type switch inside a switchboard, said adapter device comprising:
for each phase, first and second electric connectors with said switch and third and fourth electric connectors with an electric distribution network,
said adapter device being structured so as to define a connection area, housing said first and second electric connectors, and
said adapter device also comprising heat removal device adapted to remove heat from said connection area,
wherein said connection area is divided into a plurality of compartments mutually separated between different phases, each of said compartments acting as a convection channel for a corresponding phase.
2. The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein said heat removal device comprise a fan device for forced convection of heat from said connection area.
3. The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein said fan device comprise at least one internal fan facing said connection area.
4. The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein said heat removal device comprises a duct device adapted to place said connection area in fluid communication with the outside of said switchboard.
5. The adapter device according to claim 4, wherein said duct device comprise, for each phase, at least a first duct and at least a second duct.
6. The adapter device according to claim 4, wherein said duct device comprise at least one duct which, through connectors present for each phase, is in fluid communication with said connection area.
7. The adapter device according to claim 2, wherein said heat removal device comprises a duct device adapted to place said connection area in fluid communication with the outside of said switchboard.
8. The adapter device according to claim 7, wherein said fan device comprises at least one external fan positioned outside said connection area and wherein said duct device comprises at least one duct able to place said external fan in fluid communication with said connection area.
9. An adapter-switch assembly comprising an adapter according to claim 1 and a switch connectable to said adapter device.
10. A switchboard comprising an adapter according to claim 1.
11. The adapter device according to claim 2 wherein said fan device comprises at least one internal fan facing said connection area.
12. An adapter device for housing a multi-phase low voltage type switch inside a switchboard, said adapter device comprising:
for each phase, first and second electric connectors with said switch and third and fourth electric connectors with an electric distribution network,
said adapter device being structured so as to define a connection area, said connection area being divided into a plurality of compartments mutually separated between different phases, each of the compartments being configured to house at least one pair of said first and second electric connectors of a corresponding phase, and
each compartment including at least one heat removal device adapted to remove heat from said compartment,
wherein each of said compartments acts as a convection channel for a corresponding phase to channel heat as induced by the at least one heat removal device.
13. The adaptor of claim 12, further comprising:
the at least one heat removal device within each of the compartments being configured to induce an air flow within the corresponding compartment, and
each compartment acts as a convection channel for heat transfer induced by the airflow from the corresponding at least one heating device.
14. The adaptor of claim 12, further comprising:
the at least one heating device comprising first and second fans positioned on opposite sides of the corresponding compartment.
15. The adaptor of claim 14, further comprising:
the at least one heat removal device within each of the compartments being configured to induce an air flow within the corresponding compartment, and
each compartment acts as a convection channel for heat transfer induced by the air flow from the corresponding at least one heating device.