Display having a transilluminable display panel

• US 6,417,779 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Janssen, Hermann, Noll, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/626,840
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 340/463, 340/464, 340/467, 340/468, 340/469, 340/470, 340/471, 340/472, 340/815.4, 340/815.43, 340/815.44, 340/815.45, 340/815.55, 340/815.56, 340/815.65, 349/106, 349/113, 349/114, 349/122, 362/27, 362/30, 362/31, 362/489
• US Class Current: 340/815.65
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/14 lighting through the surface to be illuminated

Abstract

The invention relates displays (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, having a transilluminable display panel (2) and an illuminating device (4), arranged on the rear side of the display panel (2) averted from an observer, for transilluminating the display panel. In order to create a compact display (1) the illuminating device (4) can emit light of a first and/or a second wavelength region, and

the light of the first wavelength region can essentially pass through only a first region (7, 7a) of the display panel (2), and the light of the second wavelength region can essentially pass through only a second region (8, 8a) of the display panel (2) which differs at least partially from the first region (7, 7a) of the display panel (2), or

a light filter is arranged between the illuminating device and the display field, and the light of the first wavelength region can pass essentially only through a first region of the light filter, and the light of the second wavelength region can pass essentially only through a second region of the light filter differing at least partially from the first region of the light filter.

Claims

1. A display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a transilluminable display panel and an illuminating device, arranged on a rear side of the display panel averted from an observer, for transilluminating the display panel, wherein the illuminating device (4) can emit light of a first (I;

light source 5) and/or a second (II;

light source 6) wavelength region, and wherein the light of the first wavelength region (I) can essentially pass through only a first region (7, 7a, 7b) of the display panel (2), and the light of the second wavelength region (II) can essentially pass through only a second region (8, 8a, 8b) of the display panel (2) which differs at least partially from the first region (7, 7a, 7b) and at least partially overlaps the first region of the display panel (2).

2. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display panel (2) has a region (11) which essentially blocks both passage of light of the first wavelength region (I) and passage of light of the second wavelength region (II).

3. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel (2) has a region (7a, 8a;

7b, 8b) through which both light of the first wavelength region (I) and light of the second wavelength region (II) can pass.

4. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wavelength region (I) and the second wavelength region (II) of the light emitted by the illuminating device (4) have essentially different wavelengths.

5. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the wavelength regions (I) covers approximately blue light.

6. The display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wavelength region (I) covers wavelengths from approximately 430 to 490 nm.

7. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the wavelength regions (II) covers approximately green light.

8. The display as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wavelength region (II) covers wavelengths from approximately 510 to 590 nm.

9. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the wavelength regions covers approximately red light.

10. The display as claimed in claim 9, wherein said one of the wavelength regions covers wavelengths from approximately 610 to 750 nm.

11. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein light of a lowest wavelength region (I) and light of wavelengths therebelow can pass with high transmission through the region (7, 7a, 7b of the display panel (2), through which light of the lowest (I) of the wavelength regions (I, II) can pass.

12. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein light of a highest wavelength region (II) and light of wavelengths thereabove can pass with high transmission through the region (8, 8a, 8b of the display panel (2) through which light of the highest (II) of the wavelength regions (I, II) can pass.

13. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illuminating device (4) has a light source (5) from which light of the first wavelength region (I) can be emitted, and a light source (6) from which light of the second wavelength region (II) can be emitted.

14. The display as claimed in claim 13, wherein said light sources are incandescent lamps.

15. The display as claimed in claim 13, wherein said light sources (5, 6) have Light Emitting Diode (LED) chips.

16. The display as claimed in claim 15, wherein said two light sources are in each case integrated as an LED chip into a single multi-LED.

17. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel (2) has a liquid crystal display which can be illuminated by transmission or transflection.

18. The display as claimed in claim 17 wherein the liquid crystal display is a monochromatic display.

19. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein bright characters are representable against a dark background on the display panel (2).

20. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein dark characters are representable against a bright background on the display panel (2).

21. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display panel (2;

52) is a dial for a motor vehicle instrument.

22. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission of the first region (7, 7a, 7b) of the display panel (2), and the transmission of the second region (8, 8a, 8b) of the display panel (2) are matched such that the brightness of the first region (7, 7a, 7b) in case of illumination with light of the first wavelength region (I;

light source 5) corresponds approximately to the brightness of the second region (8, 8a, 8b) in case of illumination with light of the second wavelength region (II;

light source 6).

23. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission of the first region (7) of the display panel (2) and the transmission of the second region (8) of the display panel (2) are matched to one another and to the transmission of the region (7a, 8a;

7b, 8b) of the display panel (2) through which both light of the first wavelength region (I) and light of the second wavelength region (II) can pass such that the brightness of the individual regions (7;

8;

7a, 8a;

7b, 8b) is respectively approximately the same both in case of illumination with light of the first wavelength region (I) and in case of illumination with light of the second wavelength region (II).

24. A display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a transilluminable display panel and an illuminating device, arranged on a rear side of the display panel averted from an observer, for transilluminating the display panel, wherein the illuminating device (54) can emit light of a first (I;

light source 55) and/or a second (II;

light source 56) wavelength region, wherein a light filter (61) is arranged between the illuminating device (54) and a display field (52), and wherein the light of the first wavelength region (I) can pass essentially only through a first region (57) of the light filter (61), and the light of the second wavelength region (II) can pass essentially only through a second region (58) of the light filter (61) differing at least partially from the first region (57) of the light filter (61), and wherein a portion of the light filter illuminated by the light of the first wavelength region overlaps a portion of the light filter illuminated by the light of the second wavelength region.

25. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein said light filter (61) is a color filter pane.

26. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the light filter (61) is a scatter filter.

27. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the light filter (61) has a region which essentially blocks both passage of light of the first wavelength region (I) and passage of light of the second wavelength region (II).

28. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the light filter (61) has a region through which both light of the first wavelength region (I) and light of the second wavelength region (II) can pass.

29. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first wavelength region (I) and the second wavelength region (II) of the light emitted by the illuminating device (54) have essentially different wavelengths.

30. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein one of the wavelength regions (I) covers approximately blue light.

31. The display as claimed in claim 30, wherein the wavelength region (I) covers wavelengths from approximately 430 to 490 nm.

32. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein one of the wavelength regions (II) covers approximately green light.

33. The display as claimed in claim 32, wherein the wavelength region (II) covers wavelengths from approximately 510 to 590 nm.

34. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein one of the wavelength regions covers approximately red light.

35. The display as claimed in claim 34, wherein said one of the wavelength regions covers wavelengths from approximately 610 to 750 nm.

36. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein light of a lowest wavelength region (I) and light of wavelengths therebelow can pass with high transmission through the region (57) of the light filter (61), through which light of the lowest (I) of the wavelength regions (I, II) can pass.

37. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein light of a highest wavelength region (II) and light of wavelengths thereabove can pass with high transmission through the region (58) of the light filter (61) through which light of the highest (II) of the wavelength regions (I, II) can pass.

38. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the illuminating device (54) has a light source (55) from which light of the first wavelength region (I) can be emitted, and a light source (56) from which light of the second wavelength region (II) can be emitted.

39. The display as claimed in claim 38, wherein the light sources are incandescent lamps.

40. The display as claimed in claim 38, wherein the light sources (55, 56) have LED chips.

41. The display as claimed in claim 40, wherein the two light sources are in each case integrated as an LED chip into a single multi-LED.

42. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the display panel (52) has a liquid crystal display (62) which can be illuminated by transmission or transflection.

43. The display as claimed in claim 42, wherein the liquid crystal display (62) is a monochromatic display.

44. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein bright characters are representable against a dark background on the display panel (52).

45. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein dark characters are representable against a bright background on the display panel (52).

46. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the display panel (52) is a dial for a motor vehicle instrument.

47. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the transmission of the first region (57) of the light filter (61), and the transmission of the second region (58) of the light filter (61) are matched such that the brightness of the first region (57) in case of illumination with light of the first wavelength region (I;

light source 55) corresponds approximately to the brightness of the second region (58) in case of illumination with light of the second wavelength region (II;

light source 56).

48. The display as claimed in claim 24, wherein the transmission of the first region (57) of the the light filter (61), and the transmission of the second region (58) of the light filter (61) are matched to one another and to the transmission of the region of the light filter (61) through which both light of the first wavelength region (I) and light of the second wavelength region (II) can pass such that the brightness of the individual regions (57;

58) is respectively approximately the same both in case of illumination with light of the first wavelength region (I) and in case of illumination with light of the second wavelength region (II).