Illuminated display having two single-colored light sources

• US 20050162090A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Birman, Vyacheslav B., Tanguy, Christian, Eckardt, Werner, Yu, Shirley
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/56
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: G09F 13/0404 the light source being enclosed in a box forming the character of the sign

Abstract

A vehicle display includes two colored light sources that are operatively connected to a circuit board. Each of the two colored light sources emits a colored light that mixes to form a desired color of display light that illuminates a vehicle graphic. The desired color of display light is within a predetermined color tolerance. The vehicle display achieves a small size without incurring added expenses associated with using more than two light sources.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a display that shows a desired color of light; and

two single-colored light sources selected to produce light corresponding to said desired color of light when light from only said two colored light sources mix.

2. The display as recited in claim 1, wherein said two light sources produce said light within a predetermined color tolerance of said desired color of light.

3. The display as recited in claim 2, wherein said desired color of light is expressible in unitless X and Y color coordinates in a chromaticity diagram and said predetermined color tolerance for each of the unitless X and Y color coordinates is ±

0.05 of coordinates for the desired color of light.

4. The display as recited in claim 2, wherein said desired color of light is expressible in unitless X and Y color coordinates in a chromaticity diagram and said predetermined color tolerance for each of the unitless X and Y color coordinates is ±

0.02 of coordinates for the desired color of light.

5. The display as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said two colored light sources is a light emitting diode.

6. The display as recited in claim 1, comprising a housing that directs light from said two light sources onto a portion of the display comprising a vehicle graphic, said housing including an angled extension extending over said two colored light sources, and said angled extension including a reflective surface facing said two colored light sources for mixing light from said two colored light sources.

7. The display as recited in claim 1, wherein said display comprises a vehicle graphic and including a diffuser located between said two colored light sources and said vehicle graphic.

8. A method of illuminating a display, comprising:

selecting a color spectrum from within a broader color spectrum that includes a plurality of light colors, the selected color spectrum including at least one desired color of light;

selecting two light sources capable of collectively producing the colors within the selected color spectrum within a selected tolerance; and

controlling the selected light sources to illuminate the display with a color corresponding to the desired color of light within the selected tolerance.

9. The method of claim 8, including selectively powering at least one of the light sources to produce the light to illuminate the display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected tolerance is expressible in terms of unitless coordinates on the selected color spectrum and the tolerance is within ±

0.05 of the coordinates of the desired color.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected tolerance includes an exact match between the corresponding color and the desired color.

12. An illuminated display, comprising:

a graphic that is illuminated with a color corresponding to a desired color within a selected tolerance; and

only two light sources capable of collectively producing colors within a selected color spectrum that includes the desired color, the light sources producing light that illuminates the graphic with the corresponding color.

13. The display of claim 12, including a controller that controls illumination from each of the light sources to selectively produce the light that provides the corresponding color.

14. The display of claim 12, wherein the selected tolerance is expressible in terms of unitless coordinates on the selected color spectrum and the tolerance is within ±

0.05 of the coordinates of the desired color.

15. The display of claim 12, wherein the selected tolerance includes an exact match between the corresponding color and the desired color.