Flat panel color cluster

• US 20050083187A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Birman, Pavel, Birman, Vyacheslav B.
• Application Number:
  US10/941,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083187A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• 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: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/02 Arrangement of instruments arrangement of lighting devices for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means

Abstract

An instrument cluster includes a compact color flat panel display for reducing the “eyes off the road” time of a driver. The display includes vehicle information graphics to convey vehicle information to the driver and a text portion to display communication information, such as telephone numbers of incoming calls. The vehicle information graphics use color and/or shape to convey the vehicle information. As an example, green may indicate a normal or safe vehicle condition, a change to yellow may warn of a cautionary vehicle condition and a change to red may warn of a more serious vehicle condition. Using a compact display and changing colors to indicate a vehicle condition may decrease the “eyes off the road” time of the driver.

Claims

1. A vehicle display device comprising:

a variable input; and

a display including a vehicle information graphic having a color that changes in response to said variable input.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said color changes from a first color indicating a normal condition to a second color indicating a caution condition.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of variable inputs and a plurality of vehicle information graphics, each of said plurality of vehicle information graphics having a color that changes in response to one of said plurality of variable inputs.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an indicator remotely located from said display and in communication with said display, said indicator indicating whether a caution condition exists.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said variable input comprises a vehicle condition.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said variable input comprises a speed limit and said vehicle information graphic changes color in response to said speed limit.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said variable input comprises a fuel level and said vehicle information graphic changes color in response to said fuel level.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second variable input and a text display portion for displaying said second variable input.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein said second variable input comprises communications information.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said vehicle information graphic is a symbol having a shape indicative of the information provided by the vehicle information graphic.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a remote indicator indicating a change in said display.

12. A vehicle display device comprising:

a display receiving a variable input;

a first vehicle information graphic displayed in an illuminable area of said display when said variable input equals a first predetermined input;

a second vehicle information graphic displayed in said illuminable area when said variable input equals a second predetermined input.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, further comprising a third vehicle information graphic which changes color in response to a second variable input.

14. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein said first vehicle information graphic is not displayed when said second vehicle information graphic is displayed.

15. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein said first vehicle information graphic is a different color than said second vehicle information graphic.

16. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein said first vehicle information graphic comprises a non-numerical symbol.

17. A method of displaying vehicle information comprising the step of:

1) changing a color of a displayed vehicle information graphic in response to a variable input.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the step 1) includes changing the color from a first color indicating a normal condition to a second color indicating a caution condition.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of continuously displaying the vehicle information graphic during operation of a vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the step 1) further includes changing the color of the displayed vehicle information graphic in response to a vehicle condition.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, including the step of changing between two or more colors on a remote indicator to indicate to a driver qualitative vehicle information represented by the vehicle information graphic.