Display unit for trip computer

• US 4,663,718 A
• Filed: 05/09/1986
• Issued: 05/05/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1983
• 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: Naete, Hidehiko, Augello, Daniel, Teshima, Toru, Robert, Pierre H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/862,198
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/433, 364/442, 364/444, 364/561, 364/565, 324/160, 324/166, 324/178, 377/20, 377/24, 340/52 F, 340/901, 73/113, 73/114
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/10 using counting means or digital clocks

Abstract

A number of displays are made by the combination of numerals and pictographs on an indicator which provides numerical values of information obtained from desired signals selected from display signals wherein units and meanings of the numerical values are obtained by operating a single selection switch which drives a selector and a single reset switch which resets a driving distance computing circuit and a running time computing circuit. The selection switch and the reset switch are installed integrally on the face plate of the single indicator used.

Claims

1. A diplay unit for a trip computer including a remaining fuel computing circuit producing, at its output, display signals of remaining fuel quantity;

an instantaneous consumption computing circuit producing, at its output, display signals of instantaneous fuel consumption during the driving of an automobile;

a driving time computer circuit producing, at its output, display signals of running time from a desired time after starting the engine of said automobile;

a driving distance computing circuit producing, at its output, display signals of driving distance; and

average fuel consumption computing circuit producing, at its output, display distance utilizing said remaining fuel quantity;

at its output, display signals of average car speed during driving; and

an open-air temperatured computing circuit producing, at its output, display signals of open-air temperature, wherein there is at least one signal obtainable from a fuel quantity in a fuel tank, a fuel flow from said fuel tank, the car speed, an open-air temperature, and clock pulses which are used as data for producing all of said display signals as well as sequential selection means which selects, in sequence, each of said display signals which are converted and output to driving circuits of an indicator through the use of segment decoders and pictographic display decoders, said display unit further comprising;

means for displaying at least one of said selected signals including a means for displaying a selected combination of numerals and pictographs each of said selected combination being associated with a respective one of said selected signals;

a selector switch for actuating and controlling said selection means for providing said sequential selection of said display signals, said selector switch being operator controlled; and

an operator control reset switch for resetting said driving distance computing circuit and said driving time computing circuit;

whereby a first operation of said selector switch by said operator activates said selection means which activates a first one of said display signals and wherein a second operation of said selector switch selects a second one of said display signals and wherein each sequential subsequent activation of said selector switch activates said selection means to, in turn, select subsequent sequential ones of said display signals and wherein each of said display signals is provided to said means for displaying a selected combination of numerals and pictographs in order to provide said operator with a display which indicates by said numerals, the values of said display and by said pictographs, a visual indication of the type of unit measurement being displayed and whereby each of said display signals are displayed, in a sequence controlled by the operation of said selector switch, on the same area of said indicator.

2. The display unit for trip computer according to claim 1, wherein said selector switch (31) and said reset switch (32) are installed integrally on the face of the indicator (37).