Indicating instrument with a gear indicator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An indicating instrument, comprising:
- at least one display unit including display segments that are used to represent a currently engaged gear, and a background surrounding each of the display segments; and
a control circuit configured to apply a first signal having a first polarity to the display segments and a second signal having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the background such that the display segments and the background have different contrasts to indicate the currently engaged gear,wherein the first polarity of the first signal is a positive polarity so the display segments are displayed as being dark, and the second polarity of the second signal is a negative polarity so the background is highlighted;
wherein the display unit is connected to a shift control device that determines an optimal shift time and sends a signal to the control circuit indicating the optimal shift time, andwherein the control circuit reverses the first and second polarities of the first and second signals at or before the optimal shift time so the display segments are highlighted and the background is displayed as being dark.
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Abstract
An indicating instrument including at least one display unit including display segments that are used to represent a currently engaged gear and a background surrounding the display segments, and a control circuit configured to apply a first signal having a first polarity to the display segments and a second signal having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the background such that the display segments and the background have different contrasts to indicate the currently engaged gear.
22 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An indicating instrument, comprising:
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at least one display unit including display segments that are used to represent a currently engaged gear, and a background surrounding each of the display segments; and a control circuit configured to apply a first signal having a first polarity to the display segments and a second signal having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the background such that the display segments and the background have different contrasts to indicate the currently engaged gear, wherein the first polarity of the first signal is a positive polarity so the display segments are displayed as being dark, and the second polarity of the second signal is a negative polarity so the background is highlighted; wherein the display unit is connected to a shift control device that determines an optimal shift time and sends a signal to the control circuit indicating the optimal shift time, and wherein the control circuit reverses the first and second polarities of the first and second signals at or before the optimal shift time so the display segments are highlighted and the background is displayed as being dark. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for indicating an optimal shift time for a motor vehicle with a manual transmission, comprising:
- determining the optimal shift time using a shift control device included in the motor vehicle;
transmitting a signal corresponding to the optimal shift time to a control circuit controlling an indicating instrument, said indicating instrument having at least one display unit including display segments that are used to represent a currently engaged gear, and a background surrounding the display segments;
applying, via the control circuit, a first signal having a first polarity to the display segments and a second signal having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the background such that the display segments and the background have different contrasts to indicate the currently engaged gear; and
alternately reversing, via the control circuit, the first and second polarities of the first and second signals so the display unit flashes the currently engaged gear to indicate the optimal shift time. - View Dependent Claims (12)
- determining the optimal shift time using a shift control device included in the motor vehicle;
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13. An indicating instrument, comprising:
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at least one display unit including a first display portion configured to indicate a currently engaged gear and which includes a plurality of individual display elements, and a second display portion which surrounds each of said individual elements of the first display portion; and a control circuit configured to apply a first signal to the first display portion and a second signal to the second display portion such that the first and second display portions have a different illumination characteristic to thereby display the currently engaged gear. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification