Vehicle Display Systems with Visual Warning Management

• US 20140180536A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,073,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1523 Matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/182 Distributing information between displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/48 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic and display system includes a vehicle diagnostic system including one or more sensors and a diagnostic processor that receives a signal from the one or more sensors indicative of a vehicle condition and determines if a warning condition is present based on the signal. A vehicle display system includes a first display, a second display and a display processor that displays a visual warning received from the diagnostic processor on only one of the first and second displays.

Claims

1. A vehicle diagnostic and display system, comprising:

a vehicle diagnostic system comprising;

one or more sensors; and

a diagnostic processor that receives a signal from the one or more sensors indicative of a vehicle condition and determines if a warning condition is present based on the signal; and

a vehicle display system comprising;

a first display;

a second display; and

a display processor that displays a visual warning received from the diagnostic processor on only one of the first and second displays.

2. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 1, wherein the display processor determines an operational status of the first display and displays the visual warning on the second display based on the operational status.

3. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 1, wherein the display processor displays the visual warning only on the first display by default.

4. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 3, wherein the first display is a head-up display.

5. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 4, wherein the second display is an instrument cluster display.

6. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 1, wherein the display processor displays vehicle information on both the first and second displays.

7. The vehicle diagnostic and display system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle speed information.

8. A method of visual warning management within a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a warning condition is present using sensor inputs and a diagnostic processor;

determining warning information using the diagnostic processor and sending the warning information to a display processor; and

displaying the warning information including a visual warning on only one of a first display or a second display within the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining an operational status of the first display.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising displaying the warning information only on the second display based on the operational status of the first display.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the display processor displays the visual warning only on the first display by default.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first display is a head-up display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second display is an instrument cluster display.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying vehicle information on both the first and second displays.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle information includes vehicle speed information.

16. A method of visual warning management within a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a warning condition is present using sensor inputs and a diagnostic processor; and

displaying a visual warning associated with the warning condition only on a head-up display if the head-up display is operational.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining if the head-up display is operational using a display processor.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising displaying the visual warning on a second display if the head-up display is not operational.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second display is an instrument cluster display.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying vehicle information on both the head-up display and the second display.