Incorporation of telltale warning indicators into driver information center

• US 7,534,000 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki North America Incorporated (Yazaki Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yazaki North America Incorporated (Yazaki Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Masaki, Dehmlow, Brian, Pasek, Joseph A, Fong, Ching, Kelman, Zinoviy
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K
• Application Number:
  US11/541,502
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362 26- 29, 362/489, 362/546
• US Class Current: 362/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources

Abstract

A vehicle display having an LCD display that is employed to communicate a first type of vehicle information and a second set of vehicle information in which the information that is to be communicated can include or consist of symbols. A display light guide is employed to distribute light from two light sources to selectively illuminate portions of the display screen of the LCD display. The LCD display can be employed to generate telltale warning indicators. The LCD display provides flexibility in the display of information so that a relatively large quantity of telltale warning indicators can be handled without specifically dedicating a light source, a light tunnel and space on the vehicle display for each telltale warning indicator that may be employed in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle display comprising:

a display housing, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a display light guide,

a first light source and a second light source, the display housing defining a plurality of telltale apertures, the LCD being coupled to the display housing and including a display screen, the display screen including a first portion, which is selectively operable for displaying a first set of vehicle data, and a plurality of second portions that are selectively operable for displaying a second set of vehicle data, the display light guide being disposed between the LCD and the first and second light sources, the first light source being selectively operable such that light generated by the first light source is transmitted through the display light guide and back illuminates the first portion of the display screen,

the second light source being comprised of a plurality of light source sets, each of the light source sets being received in an associated one of the telltale apertures and being selectively operable such that light generated by each of the light source sets is transmitted through the display light guide and back illuminates an associated one of the second portions of the display screen;

wherein the second set of vehicle data consists of symbols, wherein the display housing includes a predetermined quantity of telltale apertures and wherein at least one of the second portions of the display screen toggles between two or more symbols when a quantity of symbols to be displayed exceeds the predetermined quantity of telltale apertures;

wherein one of the first and second light sources is configured to transmit the light generated therefrom directly through the display light guide without altering a direction of the light generated by the one of the first and second light sources; and

wherein the other one of the first and second light sources is configured to transmit the light generated therefrom into the display light guide in a manner that causes the display light guide to alter a direction of the light generated by the other one of the first and second light sources.

2. The vehicle display of claim 1, wherein each of the light source sets includes a means for generating light of a first color and a means for generating light of a second color.

3. The vehicle display of claim 2, wherein the second color is common between each of the light source sets.

4. The vehicle display of claim 3, wherein the first color is common between each of the light source sets.

5. The vehicle display of claim 1, wherein the display light guide is generally U-shaped having a body portion that is disposed over the telltale apertures.

6. The vehicle display of claim 1, wherein the LCD includes a display diffuser that collects light emitted forwardly from the display light guide.

7. The vehicle display of claim 1, wherein the display light guide includes at least one reflecting surface that traverses a light transmission path, the at least one reflecting surface reflecting light outwardly from the display light guide.

8. The vehicle display of claim 7, wherein the light generated by the first light source is transmitted along the light transmission path.

9. The vehicle display of claim 1, further comprising a gauge housing, a circuit board coupled to the gauge housing, a motor assembly coupled to the circuit board and a pointer driven by the motor assembly, the display housing being coupled to one of the circuit board and the gauge housing.

10. A vehicle display comprising:

a housing;

a circuit board coupled to the housing;

a motor assembly coupled to the circuit board;

a pointer driven by the motor assembly; and

a display having a display housing, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a display light guide, a first light source and a second light source, the display housing segregating the first light source from the second light source, the LCD being coupled to the display housing and including a display screen, the display screen including a first portion, which is selectively operable for displaying a first set of vehicle data, and a plurality of second portions that are selectively operable for displaying a second set of vehicle data, the display light guide being disposed between the LCD and the first and second light sources, the first light source being selectively operable such that light generated by the first light source is transmitted through the display light guide and back illuminates the first portion of the display screen, the second light source being comprised of a plurality of light source sets, each of the light source sets being selectively operable such that light generated by each of the light source sets is transmitted through the display light guide and back illuminates an associated one of the second portions of the display screen

wherein the second set of vehicle data consists of symbols, wherein the display housing includes a predetermined quantity of telltale apertures and wherein at least one of the second portions of the display screen toggles between two or more symbols when a quantity of symbols to be displayed exceeds the predetermined quantity of telltale apertures;

wherein one of the first and second light sources is configured to transmit the light generated therefrom directly through the display light guide without altering a direction of the light generated by the one of the first and second light sources; and

wherein the other one of the first and second light sources is configured to transmit the light generated therefrom into the display light guide in a manner that causes the display light guide to alter a direction of the light generated by the other one of the first and second light sources.

11. The vehicle display of claim 10, wherein each of the light source sets includes a means for generating light of a first color and a means for generating light of a second color.

12. The vehicle display of claim 11, wherein the second color is common between each of the light source sets.

13. The vehicle display of claim 12, wherein the first color is common between each of the light source sets.

14. The vehicle display of claim 10, wherein the display light guide includes a plurality of L-shaped guide elements.

15. The vehicle display of claim 10, wherein the LCD includes a display diffuser that collects light emitted forwardly from the display light guide.

16. The vehicle display of claim 10, wherein the display light guide includes at least one reflecting surface that traverses a light transmission path, the at least one reflecting surface reflecting light outwardly from the display light guide.

17. The vehicle display of claim 16, wherein the light generated by the second light source is transmitted along the light transmission path.

18. A vehicle display comprising:

a circuit board;

a liquid crystal display spaced apart from the circuit board;

a first set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) coupled to the circuit board, the first set of LEDs including a first LED subset and a second LED subset;

a second set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) coupled to the circuit board and disposed between the first and second LED subsets, the second set of light emitting diodes including a plurality of third LED subsets;

a housing received over the second set of LEDs between the first and second LED subsets, the housing defining a plurality of tunnels that extend between the circuit board and the liquid crystal display, each of the third LED subsets being received into an associated one of the tunnels; and

a light guide disposed between the housing and the liquid crystal display and configured to receive light from the first and second LED subsets, the light guide including an arcuate surface that diffuse the light received from the first and second LED subsets;

wherein the first set of LEDs can be selectively illuminated while the third LED subsets are not illuminated to back illuminate the liquid crystal display to thereby display a first set of information and wherein each of the third LED subsets can be selectively illuminated while the first set of LEDs is not illuminated to back illuminate portions of the liquid crystal display that are directly in-line with the tunnels to thereby display a second set of information that is different from the first set of information.

19. The vehicle display of claim 18, further comprising a rotary pointer and wherein the liquid crystal display is disposed in an area that is radially inward of the rotary pointer.

20. The vehicle display of claim 18, wherein the first set of LEDs are configured to produce light of a first color and the second set of LEDs are configured to produce light of a second color that is different from the first color.