Dial indicator display device

• US 7,940,604 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Okayasu, Keiko, Obara, Akiko, Inoue, Katsutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Application Number:
  US11/960,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 368/80, 368/82, 368/239, 368/223, 116308-310, 116290-292
• US Class Current: 368/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/698 Pointers of combined instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• 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 13/10 with adjustable scales; with auxiliary scales, e.g. vernier
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/002 giving both analog and numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0091 Combined electro-optical and electro-mechanical displays see provisionally also G04G9/0082
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08

Abstract

A dial indicator display device according has a needle indicator; a needle moving means for moving the needle indicator; a display panel disposed behind the needle indicator and capable of displaying an image; and a drive control means for controlling the needle moving means and driving the display panel. The drive control means includes a scale display control means for displaying a scale in a scale display area on the display panel overlapping the range of needle movement in plan view, a needle position detection means for detecting the position of the needle indicator, and an information display means. The scale display control means segments the scale display area into a scale area and a no-scale area not including the scale area based on the needle position detected by the needle position detection means, and displays a scale for reading values indicated by the needle indicator only in the scale area, and the information display means displays information in the no-scale area.

Claims

1. A dial indicator display device comprising:

a plurality of needle indicators;

a needle moving means for moving the plurality of needle indicators;

a display panel disposed behind the plurality of needle indicators and capable of displaying an image; and

a drive control means for controlling the needle moving means and driving the display panel, and including

a scale display control means for displaying a plurality of scales, one for each of the plurality of needle indicators, in respective scale display areas on the display panel,

a needle position detection means for detecting the position of each of the plurality of needle indicators, and

an information display means;

wherein the scale display control means segments each scale display area into a scale area and a no-scale area not including the scale area based on the position of the corresponding needle detected by the needle position detection means, and displays the scale for each needle indicator for reading values indicated by the corresponding needle indicator only in the corresponding scale area, the segmenting and setting of each scale display area being done independently of one another; and

the information display means displays information in the no-scale area.

2. The dial indicator display device described in claim 1, wherein:

each needle indicator is attached to a rotary pin that is driven rotationally by the needle moving means;

at least on of the scale display areas is formed in a circle concentric to the rotary pin of the corresponding needle indicator; and

at least one of the scale areas is a fan-shaped portion of the corresponding scale display area connecting an outside circumference arc of the scale display area and the center of the circle.

3. The dial indicator display device described in claim 2, wherein:

at least one of the scale areas has a center angle set in the range from 30degrees to 270 degrees.

4. The dial indicator display device described in claim 1, wherein:

the display panel is a display device with image memory;

the drive control means runs a refresh display operation to correct for image degradation on the display panel at a prescribed refresh display interval; and

the scale display control means moves each scale area a prescribed amount that is set according to the refresh display interval in the same direction as the corresponding needle indicator moves at the same interval as the refresh display interval.

5. The dial indicator display device described in claim 4, further comprising:

a timekeeping means for keeping time;

wherein the plurality of needle indicators includes an hour hand and a minute hand;

the drive control means controls the needle moving means based on the time information kept by the timekeeping means to move the hour hand and the minute hand;

the scale display control means sets an hour hand scale area for the hour hand and a minute hand scale area for the minute hand, and displays a scale in each scale area; and

the drive control means changes the refresh display interval based on the time kept by the timekeeping means.