Engine analyzer with simulated analog meter display
First Claim
1. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
- means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system of component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition;
means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal;
point addressable cathode ray tube (CRT) display means for displaying visual information based upon control signals; and
digital control means for supplying the control signals to the CRT display means to cause the CRT display means to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a scale and a visual depiction of a pointer, the pointer having a position with respect to the scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An engine analyzer for an internal combustion engine includes circuitry, under the control of a microprocessor, which senses parameters of operation of the internal combustion engine and supplies digital signals indicative of those sensed parameters. A raster scan cathode ray tube (CRT) display is controlled by the microprocessor to display a simulation of an analog meter having a pointer or needle which moves as a function of the digital signals. When an analog display, such as a tachometer, is selected, the microprocessor controls the raster scan CRT to display a visual depiction of a meter having the appropriate range of values and having a needle which moves according to the measurements made by the system. The microprocessor automatically changes the scale of the simulated meter as appropriate without operator intervention. When operation within a predetermined range of values is required, the microprocessor causes the raster scan CRT display to produce a shaded area representing the range within which the needle should remain.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
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means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system of component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition; means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal; point addressable cathode ray tube (CRT) display means for displaying visual information based upon control signals; and digital control means for supplying the control signals to the CRT display means to cause the CRT display means to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a scale and a visual depiction of a pointer, the pointer having a position with respect to the scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
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means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system or component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition; means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal; display memory means for storing digital data representative of individual image points; a point addressable display for displaying visual information based upon the stored digital data; and digital control means for periodically supplying the digital data to the display memory means to cause the point addressable display to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a scale and a visual depiction of a pointer, the pointer having a position with respect to the scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means by means of the digital data as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
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means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system or component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition; means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal; point addressable display means for displaying visual information based upon control signals; and digital control means for supplying the control signals to the point addressable display means to cause the point addressable display means to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a scale and a visual depiction of a pointer, and a shaded area representative of a range within which the pointer should be maintained in order to maintain the test condition, the pointer having a position with respect to the scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
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means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system or component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition; means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal; point addressable display means for displaying visual information based upon control signals; and digital control means for supplying the control signals to the point addressable display means to cause the point addressable display means to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a selected scale of a plurality of scales and a visual depiction of a pointer, the pointer having a position with respect to the selected scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal, the digital control means selecting the selected scale based upon a magnitude of the digital signal.
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25. An engine analyzer for testing systems and components of an internal combustion engine under test conditions, the engine analyzer comprising:
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means for supplying a variable input electrical signal derived from the system or component of the internal combustion engine under a test condition; means for periodically converting the input electrical signal to a digital signal; point addressable display means for displaying visual information based upon control signals; and digital control means for supplying the control signals to the point addressable display means to cause the point addressable display means to display a simulated analog meter including a visual depiction of a scale, a visual depiction of a pointer and a message, the pointer having a position with respect to the scale which is controlled and updated periodically by the digital control means as a function of the digital signal to provide a simulated analog representation of variation of the variable input electrical signal, wherein the message is a function of the digital signal and includes a numerical value which corresponds to a reading being displayed by the simulated analog meter.
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Specification