Selecting arrangement having a display device

• US 6,046,673 A
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Michael, Joerg, Ehrmaier, Rudolf, Neuner, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/056,638
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 340/456, 340/465, 340/461, 340/438, 74/335, 74/336, 74/337, 74/475, 200/61.88
• US Class Current: 340/456
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0239 Up- and down-shift or range or mode selection by repeated movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0204 for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism

Abstract

A selecting arrangement having a display device, particularly for a motor vehicle, is described by which, by the deflection of a control element which is automatically restored for certain deflecting directions, particularly of a selector lever, a currently selected operating position and additional, optionally selectable operating positions, of a unit which can be controlled into several operating positions, particularly a motor vehicle transmission, are displayed. The currently selected operating position and the resulting shifting possibilities into additional, not selected operating positions are always displayed. More operating positions of the unit are adjustable than there are deflecting directions for the control element. The display of the currently selected operating position and the display of each individual additional selectable operating position are always displayed at the same point of the display device. The control element for selecting one defined operating position respectively must in each case always be deflected in the same direction.

Claims

1. A selecting arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a deflectable control element which is automatically restored for certain deflecting directions, a currently selected operating position and additional, optionally selectable operating positions of a unit controllable into several operating positions are selected by the deflections of the control element;

a display device which displays said currently selected operating position and said additional, optionally selectable operating positions such that said currently selected operating position and shifting possibilities into additional, non-selected operating positions are always displayed, there being more operating positions of the unit that are adjustable than there are said certain deflecting directions of the control element;

wherein said display device arranges a display of said currently selected operating position and a display of each individual additional optionally selectable operating position at a same point on said display device regardless of the currently selected operating position; and

wherein said control element must always be deflected in the same direction for selecting a particular one of said several operating positions regardless of the currently selected operating position.

2. Selecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a display of the deflecting direction for selecting the already selected operating position is visually indicated differently than the display of the deflecting directions for the non-selected operating positions.

3. Selecting arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the display device has at least two mutually spatially independent display fields.

4. Selecting arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the control element is switchable back and forth between at least two different actuating positions and, from said two different actuating positions, while automatically restoring itself, is movable into the additional, optionally selectable operating directions.

5. Selecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the display device has at least two mutually spatially independent display fields.

6. Selecting arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the control element is switchable back and forth between at least two different actuating positions and, from said two different actuating positions, while automatically restoring itself, is movable into the additional, optionally selectable operating directions.

7. Selecting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control element is switchable back and forth between at least two different actuating positions and, from said two different actuating positions, while automatically restoring itself, is movable into the additional, optionally selectable operating directions.

8. Selecting arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the display of the operating positions of at least one actuating position of the control element is displayed by the display field which is spatially independent of the display field which displays the different actuating positions.

9. Selecting arrangement according to claim 8, wherein an actuating position of the control element is the starting position of the selector lever of an automatic transmission in a step shifting operating mode.

10. Selecting arrangement according to claim 8, wherein another actuating position of the control element is the starting position of the selector lever of the automatic transmission in the automatic gear position operating mode.

11. Selecting arrangement according to claim 7, wherein an actuating position of the control element is the starting position of the selector lever of an automatic transmission in a step shifting operating mode.

12. Selecting arrangement according to claim 11, wherein another actuating position of the control element is the starting position of the selector lever of the automatic transmission in the automatic gear position operating mode.

13. Selecting arrangement according to claim 7, wherein another actuating position of the control element is the starting position of the selector lever of the automatic transmission in the automatic gear position operating mode.

14. A display device for displaying selections of a unit controllable into several operating positions via a control element, comprising:

a first display field in which is always displayed at a same point a currently selected operating position and each individual additional optionally selectable operating positions, a greater number of operating positions of the unit being adjustable than there are deflecting directions of the control element for selecting said operating positions; and

wherein for each individual additional optionally selectable operating position, the control element is, in each case, always deflected in a same direction.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein said first field includes a display of deflecting directions for selecting said operating positions, a deflecting direction of the currently selected operating position being visually indicated differently than deflecting directions for said additional, optionally selectable operating positions.

16. The display device according to claim 14, further comprising a second display field spatially independent from said first display field.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein a display of operating positions of at least one actuating position of the control element is displayed by the second display field which is spatially independent of the first display field displaying the different actuating positions.

18. The display device according to claim 14, wherein said display device is a motor vehicle display device and said unit is a motor vehicle transmission.