Hour meter with incremental service indicator

• US 7,034,674 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Delta Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, Arthur James
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US10/781,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.4, 340/815, 34030916-3099, 340/815.53, 340/815.59, 340/815.64, 340/815.44, 701/30, 345/33, 345 35- 54
• US Class Current: 340/457.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/083 relating to maintenance, e.g. diagnostic device relating to lubrication F01M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/12 wherein the time is indicated in figures
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/02 Registering or indicating working or idle time only

Abstract

An hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time an engine has operated and a visual indication of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval. A plurality of segments on the display are selectively displayed in a first optical state or a second optical state. A display drive displays the segments in the first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined service interval. The drive changes the optical state of a first segment from the first optical state to the second optical state when a given portion of the predetermined service time interval has elapsed. The drive incrementally changes the state of a remainder of the plurality of segments from the first optical state to said second optical state as additional portions of the predetermined service time interval elapse to graphically display the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined service time interval.

Claims

1. An hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time a lawn or garden tractor engine has operated and a visual indication of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval, comprising:

a) a plurality of segments on said display that are selectively displayed in a first optical state or a second optical state;

b) a power supply mounted to the lawn or garden tractor; and

c) a display drive coupled to the power supply that displays said plurality of segments in said first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined service time interval, said display drive including a timer for monitoring intervals the display drive is energized and which changes the optical state of a first segment from the first optical state to the second optical state when the timer reaches a predetermined service time interval, said drive incrementally changes the state of a remainder of the plurality of segments from said first optical state to said second optical state as additional portions of the predetermined service time interval elapse to visually display the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined service time interval.

2. The hour meter of claim 1 wherein said first segment remains in said second optical state while said remainder of the predetermined service time interval elapses.

3. The hour meter of claim 1 wherein said display drive resets the plurality of segments to the first optical state after the predetermined service time interval elapses.

4. The hour meter of claim 1 wherein all of said plurality of segments are displayed in said second optical state when said predetermined service time interval elapses.

5. The hour meter of claim 4 wherein all of said segments remain in said second optical state for a predetermined time period after the service time interval elapses to provide a visual indication that service is due.

6. The hour meter of claim 5 wherein said drive resets the plurality of segments to the first optical state after the predetermined time elapses.

7. The hour meter of claim 1 further wherein said display indicates an amount of engine operation time remaining with the plurality of segments for a next service time interval after the service time interval has elapsed.

8. The hour meter of claim 1 further comprising a switch for manually resetting said predetermined service time interval and said plurality of segments to said first optical state.

9. The hour meter of claim 1 further comprising a switch for manual resetting of the plurality of segments to the first optical state, said drive automatically resets the plurality of segments to the first optical state if said switch is not actuated and a predetermined engine operation time elapses after the predetermined service time interval elapses.

10. An hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time a lawn or garden tractor engine has operated and a visual indication of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval, comprising:

a) a display having a plurality of segments that are selectively displayed in a first optical state or a second optical state to form a graph;

b) a power supply for energizing the display;

c) a display drive coupled to the power supply that displays said plurality of segments in said first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined service interval, said display drive including a timer that monitors time intervals the display drive is energized and incrementally changes the state of each of the segments of the graph from said first optical state to said second optical state as the predetermined service time interval elapses to visually display the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined service time interval; and

p1 d) a switch for manual resetting the predetermined service interval and the plurality of segments to the first optical state, wherein said drive automatically resets the plurality of segments to the first optical state if said switch is not actuated and a predetermined engine operation time elapses after the predetermined service time interval transpires.

11. In an hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time a lawn or garden tractor engine has operated, a method of visually displaying an amount of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval, comprising:

a) selectively displaying a plurality of segments on said display powered by a lawn or garden tractor power supply in a first optical state or a second optical state;

b) displaying said plurality of segments in said first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined engine service time interval;

c) timing engine operation based on intervals the display is energized by the power supply and maintaining an accumulated engine operation time;

d) changing the optical state of a first segment from the first optical state to the second optical state when the accumulated engine operation time reaches a given portion of the predetermined engine service time interval has elapsed; and

e) incrementally changing the state of a remainder of the plurality of segments of the graph from said first optical state to said second optical state as the accumulated engine operation reaches additional portions of the predetermined engine service time interval elapse to visually displaying the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined engine service time interval.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said plurality if segments define a graph.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said first segment remains in said second optical state while said remainder of the predetermined service time interval elapses.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising resetting the plurality of segments to the first optical state after the predetermined service time interval elapses.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein all of said segments remain in said second optical state for a predetermined engine operation time after the service time interval elapses to provide a visual indication that service is due.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein all of said plurality of segments are displayed in said second optical state when said predetermined service time interval elapses.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising resetting the plurality of segments to the first optical state when the predetermined engine operation time after the service time interval elapses.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising visually displaying an amount of engine operation time remaining with the plurality of segments for a next service time interval after the service time interval has elapsed.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing for manual and automatic resetting of the plurality of segments to the first optical state.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the manual resetting is performed by pressing a reset button on the hour meter.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the automatic resetting is occurs when a predetermined engine operation time after the predetermined service time interval elapses.

22. The method of claim 11 further comprising manually resetting said predetermined service time and said plurality of segments to said first optical state.

23. In an hour meter having a display that provides a visual indication of a total time an engine has operated, a method of providing a visual indication of engine operation time remaining in a predetermined service time interval, comprising:

a) providing a graph on said display having a plurality of segments that are selectively displayed in a first optical state or a second optical state;

b) displaying said plurality of segments in said first optical state at a beginning of a predetermined service interval;

c) incrementally changing the state of each of the segments of the graph from said first optical state to said second optical state as the predetermined service time interval elapses to visually display the amount of engine operation time remaining in the predetermined service time interval;

d) resetting the predetermined service time interval and the plurality of segments to the first optical state when a manual reset switch is actuated; and

e) automatically resetting the predetermined service time interval and the plurality of segments to the first optical state if said switch is not actuated during the predetermined service time interval and a predetermined engine operation time elapses after the predetermined service time interval elapses.