Display device for watercraft

• US 7,571,032 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Motose, Hitoshi, Kanno, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/240,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 701/21, 701/29, 701/30, 340/984, 340/438, 340/459, 340/461, 340/462, 116/62.4, 715/771, 715/864, 715/970
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/00 Outboard propulsion units, e.g. outboard motors or Z-drives; Arrangements thereof on vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2020/003 Arrangements of two, or more outboard propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/002 giving both analog and numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/02 Indicating value of two or more variables simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/04 for presentation of a single character by selection from a plurality of characters, or by composing the character by combination of individual elements, e.g. segments using a combination of such display devices for composing words, rows or the like, in a frame with fixed character positions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

A display device for a watercraft indicates various status data values regarding the conditions of an outboard motor, such as cooling water temperature, battery voltage, and oil level. The display device has a dot matrix display as a part of display region, in which dots capable of being turned on and off are arranged in the form of a matrix, and the status data values are indicated via the lighting pattern of the dots.

Claims

1. A display device for a watereraft to indicate various status data values regarding the conditions of an outboard motor, comprising:

a display region having a dot matrix display divided into a plurality of regions, wherein dots capable of being selectively turned on and off are arranged in the form of a matrix;

a controller configured to control the lighting pattern of the dots in the dot matrix display to illustrate a first operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a first status data value and a corresponding first scale and a second operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a second status data value and a corresponding second scale, the lighting pattern changeable to indicate a status data value corresponding to a different operating parameter of the outboard motor; and

a memory configured to store a screen configuration designation chart having two or more screen configurations that can be selectively displayed on the dot matrix display, the screen configuration designation chart comprising a plurality of status data value categories displayable on the dot matrix display and information designating the region in the divided dot matrix display where status data values corresponding to a status data value category are displayed,

wherein the controller is configured to select a screen configuration to be displayed on the dot matrix display from the two or more screen configurations on the screen configuration designation chart.

2. The display device for a watercraft of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions are laid out vertically in sections, and each of the regions displays a different category of the status data values.

3. The display device for a watercraft of claim 2, wherein the number of sections formed by dividing the dot matrix display with the regions are adapted to be set-up variably.

4. The display device for a watercraft of claim 2, wherein a display form of the various status data values indicated in each of the regions is adapted to be set-up variably.

5. The display device for a watereraft of claim 4, wherein the display form is a display using numerals or characters depicted by the lighting pattern of the dots.

6. The display device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of regions laid out vertically in sections illustrates a scale, the scales having the same length.

7. The display device for a watercraft of claim 1, wherein an information mark display section is provided at the side of the dot matrix display, and the information mark display section displays information marks to identify the category of the various status data.

8. The display device for a watercraft of claim 7, wherein display positions of information marks indicated in the information mark display section, and display positions of the status data values corresponding to the information marks and indicated in the dot matrix display section are aligned with each other.

9. The display device for a watercraft of claim 8, wherein the display position of information marks and the display position of the status data values corresponding to the information marks are aligned adjacent each other.

10. The display device for a watercraft of claim 7, wherein the information mark display section is divided into grids arranged in the form of matrix, and a predetermined information mark is lighted freely on or off in each of the grids, allowing variable set up for lighting on or off of the information marks for each of the grids.

11. The display device for a watercraft of claim 10, wherein the information mark capable of lighting in each of the grids is a graphic for identifying the type of status data displayed in each of a plurality of regions of the dot matrix display, the regions having a rectangular configuration.

12. The display device of claim 7, wherein the memory is configured to store an information mark display designation chart having information regarding the type of information marks to be displayed in the information mark display section for each screen configuration of the screen configuration designation chart, and wherein the controller is configured to select an information mark to be displayed in the information mark display section from the plurality of the information marks stored in the memory.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the status data values include at least one of cooling water temperature, battery voltage and oil level.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the lighting pattern of the dot matrix display illustrates a scale and alphanumeric identifiers simultaneously for at least one of the operating parameters displayed.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the lighting pattern of the dot matrix display simultaneously illustrates the first and second status data values and the corresponding first and second scales.

16. The display device of claim 1, wherein the screen configuration designation chart is configured to store a total number of the status date values to be displayed on the dot matrix display, and wherein the CPU designates a number of sections corresponding to the total number of the status date values, the sections defined by dividing the dot matrix display into the plurality of regions.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the screen configuration designation chart stores information to specify a form of displaying the status data values in each of the screen configurations.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the form comprises a scale form and/or an alphanumeric form.

19. The display device of claim 1, wherein the screen configuration designation chart has a screen configuration number allocated to each screen configuration in the screen configuration designation chart, the memory further configured to store a selective screen designation chart that allocates a selective screen to each of the screen configuration numbers, the controller configured to switch between the selective screens to be displayed on the dot matrix display.

20. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a mode selecting switch and a set switch, the mode selecting switch actuatable to cyclically change the selective screen configuration via the controller, the set switch actuatable to cyclically change the screen configuration on the dot matrix display.

21. The display device of claim 20, further comprising an engine speed display section configured to display engine speed for the outboard motor, the controller configured to suspend the display of an engine speed status data value on the engine speed display section when the mode selecting switch and/or set switch are actuated and instead display a selective screen number corresponding to the selective screen and the screen configuration number corresponding to the screen configuration on the engine display section.

22. A display device for a watercraft to indicate various status data values regarding the conditions of a motor, comprising:

a display region having a dot matrix display including a plurality of dots, the dot matrix display divided into a plurality of regions laid out vertically in sections, the dots being arranged in the matrix and adapted to be selectively turned on and off to form a pattern, the pattern adapted to illustrate a first operating parameter of the motor by displaying a first status data value and a corresponding first scale and a second operating parameter of the motor by displaying a second status data value and a corresponding second scale, the pattern changeable from illustrating a status data value corresponding to one operating condition of the motor to illustrating a status data value corresponding to a different operating condition;

an information mark display section disposed proximal the dot matrix display and configured to display at least one information mark corresponding to the at least one status data value, the information mark identifying a category of the status data;

a memory configured to store a screen configuration designation chart having two or more screen configurations that can be selectively displayed on the dot matrix display, the screen configuration designation chart storing a plurality of status data value categories displayable on the dot matrix display and information designating the region in the divided dot matrix display where status data values corresponding to a status data value category are displayed; and

means for selecting a screen configuration to be displayed on the dot matrix display from the two or more screen configurations on the screen configuration designation chart and for varying the display position of the at least one information mark indicated on the information mark display section and the display position of the at least one-status data value on the dot matrix display.

23. The display device of claim 22, wherein the dot matrix display displays a plurality of status data values, each of the regions displaying a different type of status data values.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the number of regions is variable.

25. The display device of claim 23, wherein a display form of the status data values indicated in each region is variable.

26. The display device of claim 22, wherein the display position of the at least one information mark and the display position of the at least one status data value corresponding to the information mark are aligned with each other.

27. The display device for a watercraft according to claim 22, wherein the information mark display section is divided into grids arranged in the form of matrix, and a predetermined information mark is lighted freely on or off in each of the grids, allowing a variable set-up for lighting on or off of the information marks for each of the grids.

28. The display device of claim 22, wherein the at least one information mark is a graphic adapted to identify the type of the at least one status data value displayed in the dot matrix display.

29. A display device for a watereraft to indicate various status data values regarding the conditions of a motor, comprising:

a display region having a dot matrix display including a plurality of dots, the dot matrix display divided into a plurality of regions laid out vertically in sections, the dots being arranged in the matrix and adapted to be selectively turned on and off to form a pattern, the pattern adapted to illustrate a first operating parameter of the motor by displaying a first status data value and a corresponding first scale and a second operating parameter of the motor by displaying a second status data value and a corresponding second scale, the pattern changeable from illustrating a status data value corresponding to one operating condition of the motor to illustrating a status data value corresponding to a different operating condition;

an information mark display section disposed proximal the dot matrix display and configured to display at least one information mark corresponding to the at least one status data value, the information mark identifying a category of the status data;

a controller configured to vary the display position of the at least one information mark indicated on the information mark display section and the display position of the at least one status data value on the dot matrix display; and

a memory configured to store a screen configuration designation chart having two or more screen configurations that can be selectively displayed on the dot matrix display, the screen configuration designation chart storing a plurality of status data value categories displayable on the dot matrix display and information designating the region in the divided dot matrix display where status data values corresponding to a status data value category are displayed,

wherein the controller is configured to select a screen configuration to be displayed on the dot matrix display from the two or more screen configurations on the screen configuration designation chart.

30. The display device of claim 29, wherein the at least one information mark is a graphic adapted to identify the type of the at least one status data value displayed in the dot matrix display.

31. A display device for a watercraft comprising:

a multi-display section comprising a dot matrix display section and an information mark display section, the dot matrix display section comprising dots arranged in matrix form and configured to be selectively turned on an off to illustrate one or more status data values, the information mark display section configured to display one or more information marks corresponding to the status data values to identify the category of the status data values;

a trim position display section configured to display a trim position of an outboard motor of the watercraft;

a controller configured to control the lighting pattern of the dots in the dot matrix display section to illustrate a first operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a first status data value and a second operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a second status data value, the lighting pattern changeable to indicate a status data value corresponding to a different operating parameter of the outboard motor; and

a memory configured to store a screen configuration designation chart having two or more screen configurations that can be selectively displayed on the dot matrix display, the screen configuration designation chart comprising a plurality of status data value categories displayable on the dot matrix display,

wherein the controller is configured to change a screen configuration to be displayed on the dot matrix display from the two or more screen configurations on the screen configuration designation chart by changing the lighting pattern of the dots in the dot matrix display section.

32. A display device for a watercraft, comprising:

a multi-display section comprising a dot matrix display section and an information mark display section, the dot matrix display section comprising dots arranged in matrix form and configured to be selectively turned on an off to illustrate one or more status data values, the information mark display section configured to display one or more information marks corresponding to the status data values to identify the category of the status data values;

a trim position display section configured to display a trim position of an outboard motor of the watercraft;

a controller configured to control the lighting pattern of the dots in the dot matrix display section to illustrate a first operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a first status data value and a second operating parameter of the outboard motor by displaying a second status data value, the lighting pattern changeable to indicate a status data value corresponding to a different operating parameter of the outboard motor; and

a memory configured to store a screen configuration designation chart having two or more screen configurations that can be selectively displayed on the dot matrix display, the screen configuration designation chart comprising a plurality of status data value categories displayable on the dot matrix display,

wherein the controller is configured to change a screen configuration to be displayed on the dot matrix display from the two or more screen configurations on the screen configuration designation chart by changing the lighting pattern of the dots in the dot matrix display section,

wherein the dot matrix display section is divided into a plurality of regions laid out vertically in sections, each of the regions configured to display a different category of the status data values, the memory further configured to store information designating the region in the divided dot matrix display section where status data values corresponding to a status data value category are displayed.