Display unit of fuel consumption meter for automobile

• US 4,647,902 A
• Filed: 04/13/1983
• Issued: 03/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault, Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault, Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Robert, Pierre H., Funaoka, Chihiro, Teshima, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Sr., John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queen, Tyrone
• Application Number:
  US06/484,578
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52 R, 340/52 F, 340/815.01, 340/753, 340/754, 340/715, 340/709, 340/721, 340/722, 340/670, 340/62, 324/115
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• 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: G01F 9/023 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A display unit of a fuel consumption meter for an automobile, wherein a proper fuel consumption is determined and an actual fuel consumption is measured and signals corresponding thereto are applied to comparing circuit and bar graph detectors. The comparing circuit compares the amplitude to the signals corresponding to proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption, and the bar graph decoders, after decoding the signals into a format compatible with a bar graph display, transmits the signals to an EX-OR circuit and an OR circuit. A selector circuit controlled by the output of a comparing circuit selects either the output of the EX-OR circuit or that of the OR circuit for driving plural segments of a bar graph display which accordingly displays both proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption either by driving selected display signals corresponding thereto or by driving display segments corresponding to a maximum value thereof and by inhibiting the driving of at least one display segment common to both proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption.

Claims

1. A display unit of a fuel consumption meter for an automobile, comprising:

a proper fuel consumption operational circuit capable of transmitting output signals indicative of proper fuel consumption according to automobile speed;

an actual fuel consumption operational circuit capable of transmitting output signals indicative of actual fuel consumption;

a comparing circuit for comparing the amplitudes of said output signals of said proper fuel consumption operational circuit and said actual fuel consumption operational circuit;

bar graph decoders receiving said output signals from said proper fuel consumption operational circuit and said actual fuel consumption operation circuit;

and EX-OR circuit having an input coupled to a respective bar graph decoder and having an output;

an OR circuit having an input coupled to a respective bar graph decoder and having an output;

selector means coupled to the output of said EX-OR circuit and the output of said OR circuit and controlled by an output of said comparing circuit for connecting a selective one of said EX-OR and OR circuits to an output of said selector means; and

a bar graph display comprising plural display segments and a driving circuit for activating selected of said segments, said driving circuit coupled to the output of said selector means such that said display segments are selectively driven by the output of said EX-OR circuit or the output of said OR circuit;

whereby said display device displays proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption in two modes, including a first mode in which said display device displays proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption by selectively driving display segments corresponding thereto and a second mode in which said display device displays actual fuel consumption and proper fuel consumption by driving selected display segments corresponding to the maximum value of said actual and proper fuel consumption and indicates at least one segment common to both said proper fuel consumption and actual fuel consumption by inhibiting driving of said at least one display segment.