Display device, instrument panel, automotive vehicle and method for controlling instrument panel

• US 20050237171A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mizumaki, Hidetaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 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 35/29 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

Abstract

A display device for use in an instrument panel to be mounted in an automotive vehicle is capable of displaying information concerning the status of the automotive vehicle. The display device is further capable of providing an alarm, when a predetermined physical parameter among physical parameters representing the status of an automotive vehicle is within a predetermined range, by effecting at least one of a change in display luminance and a change in displayed color.

Claims

1. A display device for an instrument panel to be mounted in an automotive vehicle, the display device being capable of displaying information concerning a status of the automotive vehicle, and, when a predetermined physical parameter among at least one physical parameter representing the status of the automotive vehicle is within a predetermined range, giving an alarm by effecting at least one of a change in display luminance and a change in displayed color.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined physical parameter is a velocity of the automotive vehicle, a revolution of an engine, a remaining fuel amount, a remaining battery power, a water temperature, or a vehicular gap.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the change in display luminance is effected so that a display luminance when the predetermined physical parameter is within the predetermined range is at least temporarily higher than a display luminance when the predetermined physical parameter is outside the predetermined range.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the change in display luminance is effected intermittently when the predetermined physical parameter is within the predetermined range.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein a rate of intermittent change in display luminance is increased or decreased to provide an indication of a degree of seriousness of an alarming condition indicated by the change in display luminance.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the change in display luminance is effected so that black is intermittently displayed when the predetermined physical parameter is within the predetermined range.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein a rate of intermittent display of black is increased or decreased to provide an indication of a degree of seriousness of an alarming condition indicated by the intermittent display of black.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the change in display luminance and the change in displayed color is effected in a portion of a displaying region.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the change in display luminance and the change in displayed color is effected in the entirety of a displaying region.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the change in display luminance and the change in displayed color is effected in a portion of a displaying region where the predetermined physical parameter is displayed.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the change in display luminance and the change in displayed color is effected also in another portion of a displaying region where the predetermined physical parameter is not displayed.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined physical parameter is a physical parameter which is not displayed in a displaying region.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the change in displayed color is effected such that each particular color displayed provides an indication of a degree of seriousness of an alarming condition indicated by the change in displayed color.

14. The display device of claim 13, wherein the change in displayed color and the change in display luminance is effected in combination, and the change in display luminance is effected intermittently such that a rate of intermittent change in display luminance is increased or decreased to provide a further indication of the degree of seriousness of the alarming condition.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal panel having a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer provided between the pair of substrates.

16. The display device of claim 15, further comprising an illuminator provided at a back side of the liquid crystal panel, the display device being capable of effecting the change in display luminance by changing a luminance of the illuminator.

17. The display device of claim 15, further comprising a driving circuit arranged to supply a signal for driving the liquid crystal panel, the display device being capable of effecting the change in display luminance or the change in displayed color by varying a signal supplied from the driving circuit.

18. The display device of claim 15, further comprising a driving circuit arranged to supply a signal for driving the liquid crystal panel having a plurality of pixels, wherein the driving circuit is capable of supplying within one vertical scanning period a black display signal corresponding to a black display state to each pixel of the liquid crystal panel, the black display signal being supplied with a timing different from a timing for supplying a data signal, so that each pixel of the liquid crystal panel retains the data signal for a predetermined first period, and retains the black display signal for a predetermined second period, the first and second periods belonging to one vertical scanning period.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the display device is capable of effecting the change in display luminance by varying a ratio between the first period of retaining the data signal and the second period of retaining the black display signal.

20. An instrument panel comprising the display device of claim 1.

21. An automotive vehicle comprising the instrument panel of claim 20.

22. A method for controlling an instrument panel to be mounted in an automotive vehicle, the instrumental panel including a display device capable of displaying information concerning a status of the automotive vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a predetermined physical parameter among at least one physical parameter representing the status of the automotive vehicle is within a predetermined range; and

when it is determined in the determining step that the predetermined physical parameter is within the predetermined range, causing the display device to give an alarm by effecting at least one of a change in display luminance and a change in displayed color.