Display device having combined display-panel unit

• US 6,621,471 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2000
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nishioka, Ken, Uchida, Tsuneo, Kaneko, Takahisa, Ozaki, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/658,473
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 345/4, 345/5, 345/6, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/87, 345/102, 345/76, 345/77, 340/815.55, 340/980, 362/23, 362/28, 362/29, 362/489
• US Class Current: 345/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/27 using semi-transparent optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• 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 display device is comprised of a main display panel, a transparent display panel that is disposed to cover the first display panel, and a control unit. The main display panel indicates a first information pattern, the transparent display panel indicates a second information pattern, and the control unit controls relative visibility of the main and transparent display panels to selectively indicate the first and second information patterns according to various vehicle conditions.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a main display panel indicating a first information pattern at a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover at least a portion of said main display panel, for indicating a second information pattern that indicates an independent and separate information from said first information pattern at a second visibility condition so that said second information pattern can overlap said first information pattern; and

a control unit for selectively controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent displays so as to make one of said first and second information patterns stand out from the other.

2. The display device-as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said control unit controls luminance of at least one of said main and transparent display panels.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said control unit increases the luminance of one of said main display panel and said transparent display panel that indicates more necessary information for a user to recognize than the other.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said control unit increases the luminance for a predetermined period.

5. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit changes color of said transparent display panel to increase visibility of said transparent display panel.

6. The display as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control unit changes said second information pattern in size when the same is indicated.

7. The display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a dial plate, a pointer and an illumination element.

8. The display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal display panel having a back light.

9. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said transparent display panel comprises a transparent electro-luminescent panel.

10. A display device comprising:

a main display panel indicating a first information pattern at a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover at least a portion of said main display panel, for indicating a second information pattern at a second visibility condition so that said second information pattern can overlap said first information pattern; and

a control unit for selectively controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent display panels so as to enable a user to simultaneously recognize said first and second information patterns, wherein

said control unit cyclically changes the luminance of one of said display panels whose information pattern is more necessary to have a user to recognize than the other.

11. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein

said control unit cyclically changes the luminance of said transparent display panel from a maximum luminance to a minimum luminance, and

said maximum luminance is the same as the luminance of said main display panel.

12. A display device comprising:

a main display panel indicating a first information pattern at a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover at least a portion of said main display panel, for indicating a second information pattern at a second visibility condition so that said second information pattern can overlap said first information pattern; and

a control unit for selectively controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent display panels so as to enable a user to simultaneously recognize said first and second information patterns,

wherein said control unit comprises a flash control circuit for flashing said second information pattern during a preset period.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said control unit is further for equalizing luminance levels of said first and second information patterns.

14. A display device comprising:

a main display panel indicating a first information pattern that is illuminated under a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover said first display panel, for indicating a second information pattern including information independent and separate information from said first information pattern and that is illuminated under a second visibility condition in addition to said first information pattern; and

a control unit for controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent display panels so as to have a user selectively recognize said first and second information patterns at the same time.

15. A display device comprising:

a main display panel indicating a first information pattern that is illuminated under a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover said first display panel, for indicating a second information pattern that is illuminated under a second visibility condition in addition to said first information pattern; and

a control unit for controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions so as to have a user selectively recognize said first and second information patterns at the same time,

wherein said control unit comprises a flash control circuit for flashing said second information pattern during a preset period.

16. The display device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said control unit makes luminance levels of said first and second information patterns equal.

17. A display device comprising:

a main display panel for indicating a first information pattern at a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover at least a portion of said main display panel, for indicating a second information pattern including information independent and separate from said first information pattern at a second visibility condition so that said second information pattern can overlap at least a portion of said first information pattern; and

a control unit for selectively controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent displays so as to therefore provide a simultaneous and visually distinguishable display of said first and second information patterns.

18. A display device for use with a plurality of sensors for providing signals indicating conditions of a vehicle, said display device comprising:

a main display panel for indicating a first information pattern at a first visibility condition;

a transparent display panel, disposed to cover at least a portion of said main display panel, for indicating a second information pattern including information independent and separate from said first information pattern at a second visibility condition so that said second information pattern can overlap at least a portion of said first information pattern; and

a control unit for selectively controlling at least one of said first and second visibility conditions to change relative visibility of said main and transparent display panels according to one of said signals during a preset period so as to provide a simultaneous and visually distinguishable display of said first and second information patterns.

19. The display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said control unit controls luminance of at least one of said main and transparent display panels.

20. The display device as claimed in claim 19, wherein

said control unit increases the luminance of one of said display panel that indicates more necessary information for a user to recognize than the other.

21. The display device as claimed in claim 20, wherein

said control unit increases the luminance for a predetermined period.

22. The display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said control unit cyclically changes luminance of one of said transparent and main display panels whose information pattern is more necessary to have a user to recognize than the other.

23. The display device as claimed in claim 22, wherein

said control unit cyclically changes the luminance of said transparent display panel from a maximum luminance to a minimum luminance, and

said maximum luminance is the same as the luminance of said main display panel.

24. The display as claimed in claim 18, wherein said control unit changes color of said transparent display panel to increase visibility of said transparent display panel.

25. The display as claimed in claim 18, wherein said control unit changes said second information pattern in size when the same is indicated.

26. The display device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a dial plate, a pointer and an illumination element.

27. The display device as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a liquid crystal display panel having a back light.

28. The display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein

said transparent display panel comprises a transparent electro-luminescent panel.

29. The display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said control unit comprises a flash control circuit for flashing said second information pattern during a preset period.

30. The display device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said control unit equalizes luminance levels of said first and second information patterns.