Instrumentation

• US 20050063055A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: PureDepth Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Engel, Damon Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/462
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values

Abstract

A method of displaying information on an instrument for viewing by a user characterised by the steps of a) displaying information on a first focal plane, and b) moving the information displayed on the first focal plane to a different focal plane when an alarm or critical situation arises, and c) then moving the information back to the first focal plane, and d) repeating steps b) and c) in order that the viewer of the instrument becomes aware of the displayed information.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on an instrument for viewing by user characterised by the steps of

a) displaying information on a first focal plane and,

b) moving the information displayed on the first focal plane to a different focal plane when an alarm or critical situation arises, and

c) then moving the information back to the first focal plane, and

d) repeating steps b and c in order that the viewer of the instrument becomes aware of the displayed information.

8. An instrument as claimed in any of claims 3 to claim 7 that is configured so as to be capable of using both of the methods for displaying information disclosed in either claim 1 or claim 2.

2. A method of displaying information for viewing by an user, including

at least two focal planes, and

a control system

characterised by the steps of

a) displaying primary operation in a distinct colour or pattern on a first focal plane, and

b) displaying secondary information in a distinct colour or pattern on at least a second plane, and

c) when the primary and secondary information overlap or come into a proximity that is commensurate with an alarm situation the displayed information will change colour or pattern so that the viewer will become aware of the information.

3. An instrument for displaying information for viewing by an user, including

a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen, and

information on a first focal plane

characterised in that

when an alarm or critical situation arises the information displayed on the first focal plane will move to a different focal plane and then back again

4. An instrument as claimed in claim 3 wherein the information will be displayed on a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen display device.

5. An instrument as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4 that includes a control circuit which has access to a number or parameters for the system to which it is connected in order that when a parameter is, or goes beyond a specified level, then the control circuit will signal to the display in order that the appropriate information displayed on the first focal plane will move to another focal plane and then back to the first focal plane.

7. An instrument as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 wherein the colour or pattern of the primary information and the colour or pattern of the secondary information will be quite distinct so as to form a new distinct colour or pattern when they are combined by an overlap of the information.

6. An instrument for displaying information for viewing by an user, including

a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen, and

primary information displayed in a distinct colour or pattern on the first focal plane of the instrument, and

secondary information displayed in a distinct colour on at least the second focal plane of the instrument

characterised in that

when this primary and secondary information overlap, or come into a proximity that is commencible with an alarm situation, the displayed information will change colour or pattern so that the viewer will become aware of this information

9. An instrument substantially as herein described with reference to an as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

10. A method of displaying information on an instrument substantially as herein described with reference to an as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.