Device for selecting and displaying speeds

• US 6,125,320 A
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Winner, Hermann, Hellmann, Manfred, Witte, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/966,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170, 180/171, 180/178, 701/93, 701/97, 701/96, 340/438, 340/441, 340/461
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/042 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/185 connected to the speedometer display, e.g. by sensors or switches responsive to the position of the indicator needle arrangement of pointers in automobile speedometers for indicating predetermined speeds by the detection of the position of the indicator needle G01P1/11
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10

Abstract

A device includes a first control unit for regulating the speed and/or acceleration of a vehicle and a second control unit for controlling a display with which at least one instantaneous actual speed vFA and a selected desired speed vsetA can be displayed. In order to match the two control units with regard to the prevailing speedometer lead, the second control unit includes an element with which the next higher and next lower selectable desired speeds can be determined. These selectable desired speeds are transmitted to the first control unit.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a first control unit regulating at least one of a speed and an acceleration of a vehicle; and

a second control unit controlling a display, the display for displaying at least one first speed and a second speed, the at least one first speed being a function of a currently prevailing speed of the vehicle and a first speed deviation, the second speed being a function of at least one desired speed selected by a driver of the vehicle and a second speed deviation, the second control unit including means for determining the at least one desired speed for regulating the at least one of the speed and the acceleration.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit further includes means for determining at least two selectable speeds, and wherein the second control unit transmits the at least two selectable speeds to the first control unit.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least two selectable speeds include at least one of:

i) a first set of values, the first set of values including an incrementally higher value than the currently prevailing vehicle speed and an incrementally lower value than the currently prevailing vehicle speed, and

ii) a second set of values, the second set of values including an incrementally higher value than a last selected desired speed and an incrementally lower value than the last selected desired speed.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least two selectable speeds are based on a real speed.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least two selectable speeds are stored in a memory.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein the first control unit includes at least one device for selecting the at least one desired speed based upon the at least two selectable speeds.

7. The device according to claim 6, further comprising at least one operator'"'"'s element for providing signals to the at least one device, the operator'"'"'s element including means for selecting one of a next higher desired speed, a next lower desired speed, and a last selected desired speed.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two selectable speeds are determined using at least one algorithm.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first speed deviation and the second speed deviation relate to speedometer leads.