Process for displaying several sets of information

• US 6,429,845 B1
• Filed: 09/05/1997
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moto-Meter GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Unseld, Eckard, Milkner, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K.
• Application Number:
  US08/913,029
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52, 340/439, 340/461, 340/521, 340/522, 340/525, 345/117, 345/333, 345/342
• US Class Current: 345/618
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

A process for displaying several sets of information with different display priority on a display panel, in which a symbol is displayed on the display panel for information with high display priority, starting from the time of occurrence of a specific condition, and changed by an operator, as a function of the activation of a means of input.

Claims

1. A process for displaying a plurality of sets of information on a display panel, each of the plurality of sets of information having a different display priority, the process comprising the steps of:

displaying a symbol for high-priority information on the display panel, the symbol being displayed when a predetermined condition occurs; and

while the symbol is displayed during a presence of the predetermined condition, reducing a size of the symbol as a function of at least one activation by an operator of at least one input system, the reduced symbol continuing to be displayed as long as the predetermined condition exists.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the symbol is displayed until the predetermined condition is no longer present.

3. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

changing a form of the symbol as a function of the at least one activation of the at least one input system.

4. The process according to claim 1,

wherein, when the predetermined condition occurs, the displayed symbol has at least one of a symbol size and a status description displayed as alphanumeric characters, and

wherein, to adapt the symbol to the predetermined condition, the symbol is reduced in at least one of size and form when the operator makes a predetermined selection.

5. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

replacing the symbol by at least one different symbol as a function of the at least one activation if at least two sets of the plurality of sets of information include the high-priority information, the at least one different symbol corresponding to a number of existing sets of the plurality of sets of information having the high-priority information.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein:

the symbol includes an amount of information for display to the operator, and

the step of reducing the size of the symbol includes the step of modifying the amount information in the symbol.

7. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing an indication that an input arrangement has been operated in acknowledgment of a display of an item of information.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of displaying the symbol and the step of reducing the size of the symbol are performed in a vehicle while the vehicle is being driven.

9. A process for displaying a plurality of sets of information on a display panel, each of the plurality of sets of information having a different display priority, the process comprising the steps of:

displaying a symbol for high-priority information on the display panel, the symbol being displayed when a predetermined condition occurs;

while the symbol is displayed during a presence of the predetermined condition, modifying the symbol as a function of at least one activation of at least one input system, the symbol being modified by an operator, wherein the symbol contains an amount of information for display to the operator, and wherein the step of modifying the symbol includes the step of modifying the amount of information in the symbol;

counting in a counter each item of high-priority information no longer displayed; and

displaying the counter.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein the symbol includes alphanumeric characters having a character text, the character text changing as a function of the at least one activation.

11. The process according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

further displaying the symbol in an unchanged form as a function of at least one additional activation of the at least one input system by the operator.

12. The process according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

after displaying the symbol, changing visual forms of additional sets of the plurality of sets of information having a lower priority information.

13. The process according to claim 9, wherein the step of modifying the symbol includes the step of:

providing an option to the operator to modify the symbol using a predetermined selection menu displayed on the display panel.

14. The process according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

changing display characteristics of additional sets of the plurality of sets of information on the display panel when the predetermined condition occurs, the additional sets having lower priority information.

15. The process according to claim 14, wherein the step of changing the display characteristics includes the step of:

at least one of reducing a size of additional symbols corresponding to the additional sets and temporarily preventing the additional sets from being displayed.

16. The process according to claim 9, wherein the high-priority information includes a warning signal.

17. A process for displaying a plurality of sets of information on a display panel, each of the plurality of sets of information having a different display priority, the process comprising the steps of:

displaying a symbol for high-priority information on the display panel, the symbol being displayed when a predetermined condition occurs;

while the symbol is displayed during a presence of the predetermined condition, modifying the symbol as a function of at least one activation of at least one input system, the symbol being modified by an operator;

counting in a counter each item of high-priority information no longer displayed; and

displaying the counter.

18. A process for displaying a plurality of sets of information on a display panel, each of the plurality of sets of information having a different display priority, the process comprising the steps of:

displaying a symbol for high-priority information on the display panel, the symbol being displayed when a predetermined condition occurs; and

while the symbol is displayed during a presence of the predetermined condition, modifying at least an information content of the symbol as a function of at least one activation of at least one input system without switching to a display of another symbol, the symbol being modified by an operator.