Information display device and display control device for construction machine

• US 6,826,465 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakyou, Tsuyoshi, Ogura, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Adachi, Hiroyuki, Ishimoto, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/169,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/1, 701/29, 340/438, 340/439, 340/459, 340/462
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/18 Control systems or devices exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An information display unit is provided inside a cab of a hydraulic excavator and has a display portion capable of displaying plural kinds of information including body information and maintenance information. A screen image has one main screen and a plurality of sub-screens. The main screen displays information regarding one of a plurality of information categories in detail and the plurality of sub-screens respectively correspond to th plurality of information categories. The information category displayed on the main screen can be selected and changed with key manipulation made on an operating portion. As a result, plural kinds of information can be displayed in a combined and selective manner, and an operator is able to confirm the information with higher efficiency.

Claims

1. An information display unit for a construction machine, said information display unit being provided inside a cab (6) of a construction machine (1) and having a display portion (472, 472a) capable of displaying plural kinds of information including body information and maintenance information,

wherein a screen image displayed on said display portion (472, 472a) comprises one main screen (1001-1004;

3001-3004) and a plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008;

4001-4008);

said main screen displays information regarding one of a plurality of information categories (A, B, C, D) in detail;

said plurality of sub-screens correspond to at least the information categories other than the information category, for which information is displayed on said main screen in detail, and display information regarding the corresponding information categories in the simplified form; and

input means (470) for selecting and changing the information category to be displayed on said main screen is provided, whereby with manipulation of said input means, information regarding the category displayed in one of said plurality of sub-screens is displayed on said main screen in detail and information regarding the category, which has been so far displayed on said main screen, is displayed in arbitrary one of said plurality of sub-screens in the simplified form.

2. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said main screen (1001-1004;

3001-3004) has a size occupying a substantial proportion of said display portion (472, 472a), and said plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008;

4001-4008) are smaller than said main screen.

3. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008;

4001-4008) display typical information contained in the corresponding information category.

4. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one (B, C) of said plurality of information categories (A, B, C, D) includes combination of plural items of sub-category information belonging to the relevant information category, said main screen (1001, 1003;

3001, 3003) selectively displays at least one of said plural items of sub-category information, and the sub-category information displayed on said main screen is selected and changed with manipulation of said input means (470).

5. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein a screen image displayed on said display portion (472, 472a) has a main display area (1000) and a sub-display area (2000) that are located in preset positions, said main display area displaying said main screen (1001-1004), said sub-display area (2000) displaying said plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008), and said plurality of sub-screens are disposed respectively corresponding to said plurality of information categories (A, B, C, D).

6. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein one of said sub-screens (2001-2008) in said sub-display area (2000) corresponding to one of said information categories (A, B, C, D), for which information is displayed on said main screen (1001-1004) in said main display area (1000) in detail, displays symbolic illustrations (80, 81) for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing said information categories (A, B, C, D) from one to another with manipulation of said input means (470).

7. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008) in said sub-display area (2000) serve as index tags for said information categories (A, B, C, D) displayed on said main screen (1001-1004) in said main display area (1000), and are designed with layout in imitation of index tags for said main display area.

8. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein at least one (B, C) of said plurality of information categories (A, B, C, D) includes combination of plural items of sub-category information belonging to the relevant information category, and said main screen (1001, 1003) in said main display area (1000) selectively displays at least one of said plural items of sub-category information;

and

wherein the sub-category information displayed on said main screen is selected and changed with manipulation of said input means (470).

9. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein when at least one of said plural items of sub-category information is displayed on said main screen (1001, 1003) in said main display area (1000), one of said sub-screens (2002, 2007) in said sub-display area (2000) corresponding to the information category, to which the displayed sub-category information belongs, displays symbolic illustrations (80, 81) for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing the information category with manipulation of said input means (470), and said one sub-screen and said main display area display symbolic illustrations (82, 85) for operation guide, which are in imitation of arrow keys and serve as aids for changing the sub-category information with manipulation of said input means.

10. An information display unit for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of information categories include at least meter information and abnormality warning information (D).

11. A display control unit for an information display unit (47) for a construction machine, said information display unit being provided inside a cab (6) of a construction machine (1) and having a display portion (472, 472a) capable of displaying plural kinds of information including body information and maintenance information, said display control unit comprising:

processing control means (470, STEP 1004, 1005, 1006) for performing control such that a screen image displayed on said display portion (472, 472a) of said information display unit (47) comprises one main screen (1001-1004;

3001-3004) and a plurality of sub-screens (2001-2008;

4001-4008), said main screen displays information regarding one of a plurality of information categories (A, B, C, D) in detail, and said plurality of sub-screens correspond to at least the information categories other than the information category, for which information is displayed on said main screen in detail, and display information regarding the corresponding information categories in the simplified form; and

changing means (470, STEP 1002, 1003) operating such that when input means (470) for selecting the information category to be displayed on said main screen is manipulated, information regarding the category displayed in one of said plurality of sub-screens is displayed on said main screen in detail and information regarding the category, which has been so far displayed on said main screen, is displayed in arbitrary one of said plurality of sub-screens in the simplified form.