Multiple message display for a motor vehicle

• US 3,987,439 A
• Filed: 07/03/1975
• Issued: 10/19/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Spaniola, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nowicki, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US05/592,929
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 340/27 R, 340/52 F, 340/223, 340/412, 340/413, 340/414, 340/415, 340/324 R, 340/325, 340/379, 340/167, 340/168, 340/164, 235/150.2, 235/92 PE
• US Class Current: 340/518
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP

Abstract

A display indicating events in a motor vehicle includes sensors for signalling the occurrence of each event and a display for sequentially and singly providing at a display window messages corresponding to each sensed event. When an event is sensed, a series of index impulses sequentially indexes the display from a reference condition and simultaneously triggers a counter which registers an output corresponding to each message. A coincidence circuit determines when the counter state is consistent with the sensed event to terminate the index impulse. In the preferred embodiment, the messages are carried by a rotating drum and a switch sensitive to drum position is used to verify that the drum position corresponds to the counter state.

Claims

1. A multiple message display to singly display at a display location any one of a plurality of messages corresponding to monitored events comprising

a plurality of on-off event sensors each corresponding to a message and each for providing an "on" event signal upon the occurrence of a sensed event,

means responsive to any "on" event signal effective to provide a time succession of pulses,

a display unit having a plurality of message states corresponding to each of said event sensors, respectively,

means responsive to the succession of pulses effective to advance the display unit through said message states in sequence,

and means including a counter having a plurality of sequentially selected states, the counter being responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the counter state in synchronism with the advance of the display unit and to terminate said pulses to produce and maintain a sensible display in response to an "on" event signal at the sensor corresponding to the particular counter state.

2. A multiple message display to singly display at a display location any one of a plurality of messages corresponding to monitored events comprising

a plurality of on-off event sensors each corresponding to a message and each for providing an "on" event signal upon the occurrence of a sensed event,

means responsive to any "on" event signal effective to provide a time succession of pulses,

a display unit having a plurality of message states corresponding to each of said event sensors, respectively,

means responsive to the succession of pulses effective to advance the display unit through said message states in sequence,

means including a counter having a plurality of sequentially selected states, the counter being responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the counter state in synchronism with the advance of the display unit,

a coincidence circuit responsive to the event signal and the counter state for terminating said pulses when the counter state corresponds to an "on" event signal at the sensor to maintain the display at the particular message state,

and means responsive to the coincidence circuit for energizing the display unit to produce a sensible display.

3. A multiple message display to singly display at a display location any one of a plurality of messages corresponding to monitored events comprising

a plurality of on-off event sensors each corresponding to a message and each for providing an "on" event signal upon the occurrence of a sensed event,

means responsive to any "on" event signal effective to provide a time succession of pulses,

a display unit having a plurality of message states corresponding to each of said event sensors, respectively, and further having a reference state,

a counter having a state corresponding to each message and reference state of the display unit,

synchronizing means effective only when the counter is in its reference state and the display unit is not in its reference state to advance the display unit to its reference state,

means responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the display unit from its reference state through said message states in sequence,

and means responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the counter state from its reference state in synchronism with the advance of the display unit and to terminate said pulses to produce a sensible display in response to an "on" event signal at the sensor corresponding to the particular counter state.

4. A multiple message display to singly display at a display location any one of a plurality of messages corresponding to monitored events comprising

a plurality of on-off event sensors each corresponding to a message and each for providing an "on" event signal upon the occurrence of a sensed event,

means responsive to any "on" event signal effective to provide a time succession of pulses,

a display unit having a plurality of message states corresponding to each of said event sensors, respectively, the display unit having a reference state and the message states occurring in sequence and having assigned thereto alternate odd and even designations,

a counter having odd and even states corresponding to the message states of the display unit and having a reference state,

means responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the display unit from its reference state through said odd and even message states in sequence,

means responsive to the succession of pulses to advance the counter state from its reference state in synchronism with the advance of the display unit,

means for terminating said pulses when a counter state corresponds to an "on" event signal at the sensor to maintain the display at a particular message state,

and verification means enabled when the pulses are terminated for comparing the odd or even designation of the particular message state to the odd or even designation of the particular counter state to verify correspondence of the counter and message states, and for resetting the counter and the display unit to their respective reference states in the absence of correspondence of the counter and message states.

5. A multiple message display to singly display at a display location any one of a plurality of messages corresponding to monitored events comprising

a plurality of on-off event sensors each corresponding to a message and each for providing an "on" event signal upon the occurrence of a sensed event,

means responsive to any "on" event signal effective to provide a pulsed indexing signal,

a rotary display drum having a plurality of message positions each carrying a message, and a reference position,

a display location adjacent the display drum,

an actuator drivingly connected to the display drum and actuated by the indexing signal to advance the drum from its reference position and sequentially advance the messages to the display location,

first and second switches,

cam means rotatable with the display drum for actuating the first switch when the drum is in the reference position and for selectively actuating the second switch at alternate odd or even message positions,

a solid state counter having a message state and a reference state corresponding to each message position and the reference position respectively of the display drum,

a synchronizing circuit effective only when the counter is in its reference state and the first switch is not actuated for energizing the actuator to advance the drum to its reference position,

means responsive to the indexing signal to advance the counter state from its reference state through alternate odd and even states in synchronism with the advance of the display drum,

a coincidence circuit for terminating the indexing signal when a counter state corresponds to an "on" event signal at the sensor to maintain a particular message at the display location,

and a verification circuit including the second switch and enabled by the coincidence circuit for comparing the odd or even state of the particular message position with the odd or even state of the counter to verify correspondence of the counter state and displayed message, and for resetting the counter and the display drum to their respective reference state and position in the absence of correspondence of the counter state and message position.