Luminous display for automotive satellite navigation systems

• US 7,724,212 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Inventors: Repetto, Piermario, Bernard, Stefano, Bollea, Denis, Liotti, Luca, Carvignese, Cosimo, Finizio, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/675,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 345 30- 50, 345 76- 84, 710207-212
• US Class Current: 345/33
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A luminous display for automotive satellite navigation systems includes a panel equipped with light sources, for example made up of LEDs, arranged in a pre-ordered configuration of discrete segments, which can be combined with one another according to paths corresponding to the representation of a plurality of encoded generally arrow-shaped pictograms, each of which indicates a respective direction to follow indicated by the navigation system. The path to follow is highlighted with respect to possible alternative paths represented by the pictograms.

Claims

1. A luminous display for automotive satellite navigation systems, comprising:

a panel equipped with selectively activatable light sources for representing a plurality of predetermined generally arrow-shaped pictograms, each of which indicates a respective direction to follow, indicated by the navigation system;

said pictograms being at least in part configured so as to represent a correct path to follow to reach a pre-set destination and possible alternative paths different from the correct path; and

wherein said light sources are arranged in a pre-ordered configuration of discrete segments, which can be activated either entirely or partially and can be combined with one another according to paths corresponding to the representation of each of said pictograms, said light sources being arranged for highlighting the path to follow with respect to the alternative path or paths represented by said pictograms;

wherein said pre-ordered configuration comprises a set of three vertical segments set at equal distances apart, a circular segment centered on the center line of the central vertical segment of said set of three, a horizontal segment extending between the other two vertical segments of said set of three and passing through the center line of said central vertical segment, and a pair of mutually orthogonal oblique segments, which also pass through the center line of said central vertical segment and are arranged at 45°

with respect to the latter, at least one of said vertical, horizontal and oblique segments, having an arrow-headed end.

2. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said segments are rectilinear.

3. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources include LEDs.

4. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources include elements made of photoluminescent or electroluminescent material.

5. The luminous display according to claim 4, wherein said elements made of photoluminescent or electroluminescent material are discrete or connected to one another in a continuous way.

6. The luminous display according to claim 3, wherein said LEDs are monochromatic.

7. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources are supplied in such a way that the luminance of the segments that indicate the path to follow is different from the luminance of the segments associated to the possible alternative paths.

8. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources are arranged in such a way that the colour of the segments that indicate the path to follow is different from by the colour of the segments associated to the possible alternative paths.

9. The luminous display according claim 1, wherein said panel is transparent.

10. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources are grouped together on a single substrate.

11. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said light sources are distributed over at least two substrates set on top of one another.

12. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein each of said segments comprises a single row of light sources.

13. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said segments comprises a double row of light sources.

14. The luminous display according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator with seven multiple segments of light sources for indication of the distance to be covered, said distance being associated to the pictogram presented.

15. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said segments is made up of at least two rows of sources set alongside one another.

16. The luminous display according to claim 15, wherein the segments associated to the alternative paths are displayed with the lighting-up of a number of said rows of sources set alongside one another different from the segments associated to the path to follow.

17. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein the path to follow is distinguished from possible alternative paths by the presence of said arrow-headed end.

18. The luminous display according to claim 16, wherein the alternative path and the path to follow have the same level of luminance.

19. The luminous display according to claim 3, wherein said LEDs are in the form of “

chips”

, i.e., of semiconductors without package.

20. The luminous display according to claim 19, wherein said LEDs in the form of chips are integrated in a substrate through technologies of the “

chip-on-board”

or “

chip-on-glass”

type.

21. The luminous display according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator of the gear engaged.

22. The luminous display according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator of the speed of the vehicle.

23. The luminous display according to claim 1, further comprising at least one “

warning”

icon, said icon corresponding to at least one of the fuel-level gauge, hazard lights activated, or engine-oil temperature.

24. The luminous display according to claim 1, further comprising at least one region where said light sources are arranged in a configuration of a dot-matrix type for representing information in a reconfigurable way.

25. The luminous display according to claim 9, wherein said panel is made of flexible material.

26. The luminous display according to claim 25, wherein at said panel made of flexible material is positioned between two plates of glass forming the windscreen of the vehicle.

27. The luminous display according to claim 25, wherein said panel made of flexible material is glued on the surface of the windscreen within the vehicle.

28. The luminous display according to claim 9, wherein said panel is positioned on the dashboard of the vehicle in front of the driver and in the proximity of the windscreen.

29. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said panel receives information from a satellite navigation system integrated in the vehicle.

30. The luminous display according to claim 1, wherein said panel receives information from a portable satellite navigation system.

31. The luminous display according to claim 29, wherein said information is transmitted in wireless mode, via radiofrequency or infrared.

32. The luminous display according to claim 31, wherein said display is supplied autonomously through a power-generation system located in the proximity of said panel.