Meter for vehicle

• US 7,177,729 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fukui, Kunihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/177,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/35, 701/50, 701/38, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/459, 180/65.1, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices

Abstract

A meter for a vehicle has a transmission display part for displaying the gear position of a transmission and a driving mode, a speed display part for displaying vehicle speed, and a drive distance display part for displaying drive distance. A display area for selectively displaying only one of a plurality of gear positions is provided in the transmission display part. The meter for a vehicle has excellent visibility in spite of having a small display area. Furthermore, miniaturization of the meter for a vehicle can be achieved.

Claims

1. A meter for a vehicle, comprising:

a transmission display part for displaying a gear position of a transmission of a vehicle and an automatic or manual driving mode of the transmission;

a speed display part for displaying vehicle speed; and

a drive distance display part for displaying drive distance,

wherein a single gear position display area that displays only one piece of information at a time is provided in said transmission display part, said single gear position display area being selectively possible to display both automatic gear positions and manual gear positions when the transmission is in the automatic mode and the manual mode.

2. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a display area of said driving mode is disposed over or below a display area of said gear position, thereby forming said transmission display part so as to be vertically-long.

3. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said speed display part is arranged on a side of said transmission display part.

4. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

5. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

6. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said speed display part is arranged on a side of said transmission display part.

7. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

8. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

9. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said single gear position display area selectively displays one of the gear positions D, R, N and L when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and selectively displays one of the gear positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

10. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the transmission includes a subtransmission, and the gear positions displayed in the single gear position display area correspond to a selected position of the subtransmission when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and a gear used in the transmission when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

11. A meter for a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit for receiving transmission information from a transmission of the vehicle, and speed and drive distance information from a vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle; and

a display device connected to said control unit for receiving said transmission, speed and drive distance information from said control unit, said display device, comprising;

a transmission display part for displaying a gear position of the transmission of the vehicle and an automatic or manual driving mode of the transmission, said transmission display part including a single gear position display area that displays only one piece of information at a time, said single gear position display area being selectively possible to display both automatic gear positions and manual gear positions when the transmission is in the automatic mode and the manual mode;

a speed display part for displaying vehicle speed; and

a drive distance display part for displaying drive distance.

12. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a display area of said driving mode is disposed over or below a display area of said gear position, thereby forming said transmission display part so as to be vertically-long.

13. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said speed display part is arranged on a side of said transmission display part.

14. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

15. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

16. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said speed display part is arranged on a side of said transmission display part.

17. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

18. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said drive distance display part is disposed over or below said speed display part, and said transmission display part is disposed on a side of the speed display part and the drive distance display part.

19. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said single gear position display area selectively displays one of the gear positions D, R, N and L when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and selectively displays one of the gear positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

20. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the transmission includes a subtransmission, and the gear positions displayed in the single gear position display area correspond to a selected position of the subtransmission when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and a gear used in the transmission when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

21. A saddle-riding type vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

a power unit mounted on said vehicle body frame, said power unit including an internal combustion engine and a transmission;

a control unit for receiving transmission information from said transmission of the vehicle, and speed and drive distance information from a vehicle speed sensor of the vehicle; and

a display device connected to said control unit for receiving said transmission, speed and drive distance information from said control unit, said display device, comprising;

a transmission display part for displaying a gear position of the transmission of the vehicle and an automatic or manual driving mode of the transmission, said transmission display part including a single gear position display area that displays only one piece of information at a time, said single gear position display area being selectively possible to display both automatic gear positions and manual gear positions when the transmission is in the automatic mode and manual mode;

a speed display part for displaying vehicle speed; and

a drive distance display part for displaying drive distance.

22. The saddle-riding type vehicle according to claim 21, wherein said single gear position display area selectively displays one of the gear positions D, R, N and L when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and selectively displays one of the gear positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

23. The saddle-riding type vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the transmission includes a subtransmission, and the gear positions displayed in the single gear position display area correspond to a selected position of the subtransmission when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and a gear used in the transmission when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

24. A meter for a vehicle, comprising:

a transmission display part for displaying a gear position of a transmission of a vehicle and an automatic or manual driving mode of the transmission;

a speed display part for displaying vehicle speed; and

a drive distance display part for displaying drive distance, wherein a single, alphanumeric gear position display area that displays only one piece of information at a time is provided in said transmission display part, said single, alphanumeric gear position display area being selectively changed to display from one of the plurality of gear positions, which include both automatic gear positions and manual gear positions, to another when the transmission is in the automatic mode and when the transmission is in the manual mode, said single gear position display area selectively displaying one of the gear positions D, R, N and L when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and one of the gear positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.

25. The meter for a vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the transmission includes a subtransmission, and the gear positions displayed in the single gear position display area correspond to a selected position of the subtransmission when the transmission is in the automatic driving mode and a gear used in the transmission when the transmission is in the manual driving mode.