Data display system for vehicles

• US 5,072,209 A
• Filed: 01/22/1990
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kawajyuu GIFU Engineering Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kawajyuu GIFU Engineering Company Limited
• Inventors: Ueda, Kazuo, Hori, Toshio, Furuhashi, Kenji, Wakita, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US07/468,129
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 340/432, 340/980, 340/705, 340/447, 340/485, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 362/80.1, 362/83.1, 350/174, 358/103
• US Class Current: 340/432
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/042 Optical devices night vision goggles G02B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

This data display system includes a wireless transmitter mounted on a vehicle. The wireless transmitter is used for transmitting a signal representative of data related to operation of the vehicle. A wireless receiver is mounted on a helmet worn by a driver of the vehicle. The receiver receives a transmitted data signal from the transmitter and generates an output signal. A power supply is mounted on the helmet, and comprises a solar cell and a secondary battery for supplying electric power to the receiver. Converter circuits are connected to an output stage of the wireless receiver for converting the output signal of the receiver into a light display signal of visible rays. A display and mirror are mounted on the helmet for projecting and displaying the display signal from the converter circuits in a forward visual field of the driver.

Claims

1. A data display system for a vehicle intended to be driven on a roadway including:

generating means for generating a signal containing data representative of an operating condition of said vehicle;

wireless transmitter means mounted on a vehicle adjacent to a driver'"'"'s seat provided in said vehicle, for transmitting said signal generated by said generating means;

said transmitter means transmitting said signal in a range of a cone diverging from said transmitter means in a direction and at an angle to cover a helmet worn by a driver of the vehicle while sitting in a normal driving position in the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle;

wireless receiver means mounted on the helmet worn by the driver of said vehicle, for receiving the transmitted signal from said transmitter means and generating an output signal;

a power supply mounted on said helmet for supplying electric power to said receiver means; and

converting and displaying means connected to said receiver means, for converting the output signal of said receiver means into a light display signal of visible rays to display the data representative of the operating condition of the vehicle in the form of indicia which indicia changes in accordance with the value of the operating condition and for displaying the indicia of the display signal in a forward visual field of the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said wireless transmitter means comprises an infrared transmitter for transmitting an infrared signal and said wireless receiver means comprises an infrared receiver for receiving the infrared signal.

3. The system of claim 1 in which said wireless transmitter means comprises a supersonic wave transmitter for transmitting a supersonic wave signal and said wireless receiver means comprises a supersonic wave receiver for receiving the supersonic wave signal.

6. The data display system of claim 1, in which said transmitter means also includes a test signal generating means to indicate a test result when starting said vehicle.

7. The data display system of claim 1, in which said wireless receiver means includes means for generating a signal representing the time to indicate the time.

8. The data display system of claim 2, in which said wireless transmitter means also includes a test signal generating means to indicate a test result when starting said vehicle.

9. The data display system of claim 3, in which said wireless transmitter means also includes a test signal generating means to indicate a test result when starting said vehicle.

10. The data display system of claim 2, in which said wireless receiver means includes means for generating a signal representing the time to indicate the time.

11. The data display system of claim 3, in which said wireless receiver means includes means for generating a signal representing the time to indicate the time.

12. The data display system of claim 6, in which said wireless receiver means includes means for generating a signal representing the time to indicate the time.

4. A helmet used by a driver of a vehicle intended to be driven on a roadway including:

wireless receiver means for receiving a wirelessly transmitted signal and generating an output, the wirelessly transmitted signal being generated by a generating means mounted on the vehicle and being representative of an operating condition of the vehicle, a transmitter means mounted on the vehicle receiving the signal from the generating means and transmitting the signal in a range of a cone diverging from the transmitter means in a direction and at an angle to cover the helmet when worn by the driver of the vehicle while sitting in a normal driving position in the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle;

converting and displaying means for generating a light display signal of visual light from the output of said receiver means to display data representative of the operating condition of the vehicle in the form of indicia which indicia changes in accordance with the value of the operating condition and for displaying the indicia of the display signal in forward visual field of the driver while the driver is operating the vehicle; and

a power supply mounted on the helmet for supplying electric power to said receiver means.

5. The helmet of claim 4, wherein said power supply comprises a solar cell and a chargeable secondary battery.

18. The helmet as claimed in claim 4, wherein said wireless receiver means comprises an infrared receiver for receiving an infrared signal from said transmitter means.

19. The helmet as claimed in claim 4 in which said wireless receiver means comprises a supersonic wave receiver for receiving a supersonic wave from said transmitter means.

13. In combination, a vehicle intended to be driven on a roadway and a wireless transmitter means, said transmitter means is mounted on said vehicle so that a data signal diverges in a range of a cone from said transmitter means in a direction and at an angle covering a helmet worn by a driver of said vehicle sitting in a normal driving position on said vehicle, and comprises means for generating said conically shaped data signal representing data related to an operating condition of said vehicle and means for transmitting said conically shaped data signal, the combination further comprising:

wireless receiver means within said helmet for receiving said conically shaped data signal transmitted by said transmitter means and generating an output signal;

a power supply mounted on said helmet; and

converting and displaying means for converting the output signal of said receiver means into a light display signal of visible rays to display the data representative of the operating condition of the vehicle in the form of indicia which indicia changes in accordance with the value of the operating condition and for displaying in a forward visual field of the driver.

14. The combination as claimed in claim 13, wherein said wireless transmitter means comprises an infrared transmitter for transmitting an infrared signal and said wireless receiver means comprises an infrared receiver means for receiving the infrared signal.

15. The combination as claimed in claim 13 in which said wireless transmitter means comprises a supersonic wave transmitter for transmitting a supersonic wave signal and said wireless receiver means comprises a supersonic wave receiver for receiving the supersonic wave signal.

16. The combination as claimed in claim 13, wherein said power supply comprises a solar cell and a chargeable secondary battery.

17. The combination as claimed in claim 13, in which said wireless transmitter means also includes a test signal generating means to indicate a test result when starting said vehicle.