INTEGRATED MESSAGE DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20010012976A1
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freightliner LLC (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Freightliner LLC (Daimler Truck Holding AG)
• Inventors: BISHEL, RICHARD A., BRANDT, PETER CHARLES, RENNER, DR. GOETZ, POWELL, JARED A., MENIG, PAUL M., KIRN, CHRIS, GHITEA, NICOLAE Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,289,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

An integrated message system for a vehicle provides an extendable, prioritized message scheme. Using this scheme, the message system acts as a centralized message provider for variety of alerts and operating data originating throughout the vehicle. The message system defines a hierarchy of message levels, each having a unique output protocol. The protocol defines attributes associated with messages at a particular level such as textual or graphical message, an auditory alert, as well as the scheme for playing these messages and alerts. The system integrates a variety of subsystems that conventionally have separate driver interfaces such as a collision warning system and an adaptive cruise control system.

Claims

1. An integrated message system for a vehicle comprising:

two or more electronic control units;

an instrumentation control unit in communication with the one or more electronic control units, the instrumentation control unit including a visual display for displaying vehicle messages and an audio transducer for generating auditory signals;

wherein the instrumentation control unit displays a default screen and selectively overrides the default screen with prioritized vehicle messages in response to predetermined events detected in the electronic control units;

wherein the prioritized vehicle messages are organized into levels of importance such that messages from a more important level override messages from a less important level, and each level is associated with a different visual display protocol and a different corresponding auditory signal.

2. The system of

claim 1

wherein each visual display protocol defines a predetermined display duration and repeat cycle defining when and how long the visual display associated with a prioritized message overrides the default screen.

5. The system of

claim 1

wherein the default screen is driver selectable via an input device in communication with the instrumentation control unit.

6. The system of

claim 1

wherein the default screen displays operating information about the vehicle including a fuel economy indicator, or an odometer reading.

7. The system of

claim 1

wherein each level of prioritized message is associated with a different auditory tone indicating relative importance of the level relative to the other levels of messages.

8. The system of

claim 7

wherein each level is associated with a different sequence of beeping tones indicating relative importance of the level relative to the other levels.

9. The system of

claim 1

wherein each level is associated with a different visual coding for flashing the corresponding visual display to indicate relative importance of the level relative to other levels.

10. The system of

claim 1

including a collision warning electronic control unit, and the collision warning electronic control unit communicates collision detection events to the instrumentation control unit, where the events are associated with the different levels of prioritized messages depending on relative importance of each collision detection event.

11. The system of

claim 10

wherein collision detection events are associated with a subset of the levels, and each level in the subset is associated with a different visual display that indicates relative importance of a collision warning with respect to the other levels.

12. The system of

claim 11

wherein the visual display for each level of collision warning is associated with a graphical warning symbol that grows progressively larger to reflect progressively more dangerous collision warning conditions.

13. The system of

claim 1

including an electronic control unit for controlling adaptive cruise control, and the instrumentation control unit displays visual messages associated with adaptive cruise control events.

14. The system of

claim 13

wherein adaptive cruise control events are associated with different levels of prioritized messages depending on relative importance of each adaptive cruise control event.

15. The system of

claim 14

wherein the adaptive cruise control events include an operator input for setting a headway parameter.

16. The system of

claim 14

wherein the adaptive cruise control events include an operator input for setting a vehicle set speed parameter.

17. The system of

claim 1

including a transmission electronic control unit, and the instrumentation control unit displays visual messages indicating a selected gear.

18. The system of

claim 17

wherein the instrumentation control unit displays visual messages indicating a selected driving mode.

3. The system of claim I wherein the instrumentation control unit is in communication with an input device that enables an operator to acknowledge a prioritized message, and the instrumentation control unit modifies the prioritized message to indicate that the message has been acknowledged.

4. The system of claim I wherein the instrumentation control unit displays a visual message indicating the importance level of a prioritized message along with descriptive text describing event specific information about the event that triggered the message for each of the prioritized messages.

19. A method for providing an integrated audio-visual message system for a vehicle comprising:

receiving messages regarding predetermined events detected in one or more electronic control units;

displaying a default screen and selectively overriding the default screen with prioritized messages in response to predetermined events detected in the electronic control units;

wherein the prioritized messages are organized into levels of importance such that messages from a more important level override alerts from a less important level, and each level is associated with a different visual display protocol and a different corresponding auditory message.

20. An integrated audio-visual message system for a vehicle comprising:

two or more electronic control units;

an instrumentation control unit in communication with the two or more electronic control units, the instrumentation control unit including a visual display for displaying alphanumeric alerts and an audio transducer for generating auditory alerts;

wherein the instrumentation control unit displays a default screen and selectively overrides the default screen with prioritized alerts in response to predetermined events detected in the electronic control units;

wherein the prioritized alerts are organized into levels of importance such that alerts from a more important level override alerts from a less important level, and each level is associated with a different visual display protocol and a different corresponding auditory alert.