Vehicle-mounted meter system

• US 7,107,130 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Kazuaki, Ashizawa, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/711,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20050119807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 340/488, 340/870.39, 340/459, 340/870.37, 340/425.5, 340/310.11, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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 vehicle-mounted meter system includes: an inputting and outputting circuit for data measured to show a condition of the vehicle, a control circuit for controlling the system as a whole and for procession of the data, a meter main body, and a control unit detachably attached to the meter main body. The data inputting and outputting circuit is arranged on the meter main body, and the control circuit is arranged on the control unit. Preferably, the meter main body has a random bus structure corresponding to the data inputting and outputting circuit, and the bus structure has a buffer through which communication is allowed between the data inputting and outputting circuit and the control circuit.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted meter system comprising:

an inputting and outputting circuit for data measured to show a condition of the vehicle,

a control circuit for controlling the system as a whole and for procession of the data, the control circuit separated from the data inputting and outputting circuit,

a meter main body having at least one measured value indication device a driving device for the indication device, and

a control unit detachably attached to the meter main body,

wherein the data inputting and outputting circuit is arranged on the meter main body, and the control circuit is arranged on the control unit,

wherein the control unit has a memory and a control circuit, the memory storing and rewriting a software program to control the system as a whole and to process the measured data, the control circuit operated by the software program.

2. The meter system recited in claim 1 wherein the meter main body has a random bus structure corresponding to the data inputting and outputting circuit, and the bus structure has a buffer through which communication is allowed between the data inputting and outputting circuit and the control circuit.

3. The meter system recited in claim 1 wherein wire or wireless signal transmission is applied between the meter main body and the control unit.

4. The meter system recited in claim 1 wherein the control unit is a card-typed one.

5. The meter system recited in claim 1 wherein the control circuit of the control unit includes a micro computer.

6. The meter system recited in claim 5 wherein the meter main body is a combination meter having a plurality of meters and a display, and the micro computer controls the plurality of meters and the display.

7. A vehicle-mounted meter system comprising:

an inputting and outputting circuit for data measured to show a condition of the vehicle,

a control circuit for controlling the system as a whole and for procession of the data, the control circuit separated from the data inputting and outputting circuit,

a meter main body having at least one measured value indication device and a driving device for the indication device, and

a control unit detachably attached to the meter main body,

wherein the data inputting and outputting circuit is arranged on the control unit, and the control circuit is arranged on the meter main body,

wherein the control unit has a memory and a control circuit, the memory storing and rewriting a software program to control the system as a whole and to process the measured data, the control circuit operated by the software program.

8. The meter system recited in claim 7 wherein the meter main body has a random bus structure corresponding to the data inputting and outputting circuit, and the bus structure has a buffer through which communication is allowed between the data inputting and outputting circuit and the control circuit.

9. The meter system recited in claim 7 wherein wire or wireless signal transmission is applied between the meter main body and the control unit.

10. The meter system recited in claim 7 wherein the control unit is a card-typed one.

11. The meter system recited in claim 7 wherein the control circuit of the control unit includes a micro computer.

12. The meter system recited in claim 11 wherein the meter main body is a combination meter having a plurality of meters and a display, and the micro computer controls the plurality of meters and the display.

13. A vehicle-mounted meter system comprising:

a meter main body having at least one measured value indication device and a driving device for the indication device, the measured value indication device showing a measured data of a condition of an automotive vehicle, and

a control unit for controlling the system as a whole and for processing the measured data, the control unit detachably mounted on the meter main body via connectors,

wherein the control unit has a memory and a control circuit, the memory storing and rewriting a software program to control the system as a whole and to process the measured data, the control circuit operated by the software program.

14. The meter system recited in claim 13 wherein wire or wireless signal transmission is applied between the meter main body and the control unit.

15. The meter system recited in claim 13 wherein the control unit the is a card-typed one.

16. The meter system recited in claim 13 wherein the control circuit of the control unit includes a micro computer.

17. The meter system recited in claim 16 wherein the meter main body is a combination meter having a plurality of meters and a display, and the micro computer controls the plurality of meters and the display.

18. A vehicle-mounted meter system comprising:

a meter main body having an inputting and outputting circuit for data measured by various types of sensors to know a condition of the vehicle, at least one measured value indication device for indicating the measured data, and a driving device for the indication device, and

a control unit for controlling the system as a whole and for processing the measured data, the control unit detachably mounted on the meter main body via connectors,

wherein the control unit has a memory and a control circuit, the memory for storing and rewriting a software program to control the system as a whole and to process the measured data, the control circuit operated by the software program.

19. The meter system recited in claim 18 wherein wire or wireless signal transmission is applied between the meter main body and the control unit.

20. The meter system recited in claim 18 wherein the control unit is a card-typed one.

21. The meter system recited in claim 18 wherein the control circuit of the control unit includes a micro computer.

22. The meter system recited in claim 21 wherein the meter main body is a combination meter having a plurality of meters and a display, and the micro computer controls the plurality of meters and the display.