Indicator device for vehicle with automatic transmission

• US 20060220810A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Sogame, Katsumasa, Matsukawa, Takeshi, Toda, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2063/423 Range indicators for automatic transmissions, e.g. showing selected range or mode
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism

Abstract

Disclosed is an indicator device for a vehicle with an automatic transmission, which comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements 52a each adapted to be lighted up when one of P, R and N gear ranges corresponding thereto is selected, and a digital indicator 53 adapted to indicate an alphabet character “D” when a D gear range is selected, and indicate a numeric character representing a gear position when a M gear range (manual shift mode) is selected. The indication device of the present invention makes it possible to utilize a space of an instrument panel with higher efficiency and offer enhanced visibility for a driver, while avoiding increase in production cost.

Claims

1. An indicator device for a vehicle with an automatic transmission, which is designed to be selectable between an automatic shift mode and a manual shift mode and to be selectable between a plurality of gear ranges, comprising:

a shift-mode detector for detecting whether said manual shift mode or said auto shift mode is selected by a driver;

a gear-range detector for detecting each of the gear ranges selected by the driver in an operation for selecting said automatic shift mode;

a gear-position detector for detecting a gear position selected by the driver when said manual shift mode is in a selected state; and

an indicator for indicating each of said gear ranges selected in the operation for selecting said automatic shift mode, and said gear position selected when said manual shift mode is in the selected state, said indicator including

a first gear-range indicator section which has a plurality of linearly-arranged alphabet and/or symbol elements adapted to be selectively lighted up so as to indicate either one of a non-drive gear range and a reverse gear range, or a combination of a plurality of linearly-arranged alphabet and/or symbol characters representing the non-drive gear range and the reverse gear range and a plurality of linearly-arranged light-emitting elements each disposed in side-by-side relation to a corresponding one of said alphabet and/or symbol characters, and

a second gear-range indicator section adapted to indicate an alphabet character and/or a symbol character representing a forward gear range by using a plurality of segments; and

an indication controller for controlling said indicator in such a manner that,

under the condition where said shift-mode detector detects that said auto shift mode is in a selected state,

said first gear-range indicator section is operable, when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected by said gear-range detector, to light up one of said alphabet or symbol elements or one of said light-emitting elements which is corresponds to said selected gear range, and

said second gear-range indicator section is operable, when the selection of said forward gear range is detected by said gear-range detector, to indicate the alphabet character and/or the symbol character representing said forward gear range, and,

under the condition where said shift-mode detector detects that said manual shift mode is in the selected state, said second gear-range indicator section is operable to indicate the gear position detected by said gear-position detector.

2. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein, when the selection of said automatic shift mode is detected, said indication controller controls said indicator in such a manner that said second gear-range indicator section has lower indicator brightness when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected, than that when the selection of said forward gear range is detected.

3. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein, when the selection of said automatic shift mode is detected, said indication controller controls said indicator in such a manner that said second gear-range indicator section has a less evocative indicator color when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected, than that when the selection of said forward gear range is detected.

4. The indicator device according to claim 1, which includes an additional indicator for additionally indicating that said manual shift mode is selected, in response to detection of said manual shift mode.

5. The indicator device according to claim 1, wherein said second gear-range indicator section is designed to indicate said alphabet character and/or the symbol character thereof in a larger size than that of each of said light-emitting elements or said alphabet and/or symbol elements in said first gear-range indicator section.

6. An indicator device for a vehicle with an automatic transmission, which is designed to be selectable between an automatic shift mode and a manual shift mode and to be selectable between a plurality of gear ranges, comprising:

shift-mode detection means for detecting whether said manual shift mode is selected by a driver;

gear-range detection means for detecting each of the gear ranges selected by the driver in an operation for selecting said automatic shift mode;

gear-position detection means for detecting a gear position selected by the driver when said manual shift mode is in a selected state; and

indication means for indicating each of said gear ranges selected in the operation for selecting said automatic shift mode, and said gear position selected when said manual shift mode is in the selected state, said indication means including

a first gear-range indicator section which has a plurality of linearly-arranged alphabet and/or symbol elements adapted to be selectively lighted up so as to indicate either one of a non-drive gear range and a reverse gear range, or a combination of a plurality of linearly-arranged alphabet and/or symbol characters representing the non-drive gear range and the reverse gear range and a plurality of linearly-arranged light-emitting elements each disposed in side-by-side relation to a corresponding one of said alphabet and/or symbol characters, and

a second gear-range indicator section adapted to indicate an alphabet character and/or a symbol character representing a forward gear range by using a plurality of segments; and

indication control means for controlling said indication means in such a manner that,

under the condition where said shift-mode detection means detects that said auto shift mode is in a selected state,

said first gear-range indicator section is operable, when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected by said gear-range detection means, to light up one of said alphabet or symbol elements or one of said light-emitting elements which is corresponds to said selected gear range, and

said second gear-range indicator section is operable, when the selection of said forward gear range is detected by said gear-range detection means, to indicate the alphabet character and/or the symbol character representing said forward gear range, and,

under the condition where said shift-mode detection means detects that said manual shift mode is in the selected state, said second gear-range indicator section is operable to indicate the gear position detected by said gear-position detection means.

7. The indicator device according to claim 6, wherein, when the selection of said automatic shift mode is detected, said indication control means controls said indication means in such a manner that said second gear-range indicator section has lower indicator brightness when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected, than that when the selection of said forward gear range is detected.

8. The indicator device according to claim 6, wherein, when the selection of said automatic shift mode is detected, said indication control means controls said indication means in such a manner that said second gear-range indicator section has a less evocative indicator color when the selection of either one of said non-drive gear range and said reverse gear range is detected, than that when the selection of said forward gear range is detected.

9. The indicator device according to claim 6, which includes additional indication means for additionally indicating that said manual shift mode is selected, in response to detection of said manual shift mode.

10. The indicator device according to claim 6, wherein said second gear-range indicator section is designed to indicate said alphabet character and/or the symbol character thereof in a larger size than that of each of said light-emitting elements or said alphabet and/or symbol elements in said first gear-range indicator section.