Display device for vehicle

• US 8,115,612 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Original Assignee: Isuzu Motors Limited
• Inventors: Hirano, Tomoki, Kadota, Seiji, Ukai, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie
• Application Number:
  US12/514,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/461, 340/815.44
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/00 Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus , e.g. for catalytic activity safety, indicating or supervising devices for internal combustion engines F02B77/08; testing of machines G01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/102 Travelling distance
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2900/1606 Particle filter loading or soot amount
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/023 using means for regenerating the filters, e.g. by burning trapped particles by electrically controlling the supply of combustible mixture or its constituents only F02D41/0235
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0235 using exhaust gas throttling means
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/035 with catalytic reactors , e.g. catalysed diesel particulate filters
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0812 Particle filter loading
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/029 the exhaust gas treating apparatus being a particulate filter
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2207/30 Displays providing further information, in addition to measured values, e.g. status
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A display device for a vehicle that display an amount of a particulate matter collected in a filter device for exhaust gas purification. A vehicle 1 includes distance storage apparatus 46 for storing a travel distance, a filter device 5 for exhaust gas purification for trapping a particulate matter contained in an exhaust gas, and collected amount detection apparatus 25 for finding an amount of the particulate matter collected in the filter device 5 for exhaust gas purification. A display control unit 42 normally acquires a travel distance from the distance storage apparatus 46 and displays the travel distance as a numerical value on a segment display unit 41, and when instructed to display a collected amount of the particulate matter, the display control unit 42 acquires a collected amount from the collected amount detection apparatus 25 and lights up the number of segment groups 61 corresponding to the collected amount, thereby displaying the collected amount.

Claims

1. A display device for a vehicle, comprising:

a segment display unit that can display a numerical value of a plurality of digits and is provided with segment groups that display values of each digit; and

a display control unit for displaying a travel distance of the vehicle on the segment display unit,

wherein the vehicle comprises;

distance storage means for storing a travel distance;

a filter device for exhaust gas purification for trapping a particulate matter contained in an exhaust gas; and

collected amount detection means for finding an amount of the particulate matter collected in the filter device for exhaust gas purification, and

the display control unit normally acquires a travel distance from the distance storage means and displays the travel distance as a numerical value on the segment display unit, and when instructed to display a collected amount of the particulate matter, the display control unit acquires a collected amount from the collected amount detection means and lights up the number of segment groups corresponding to the collected amount, thereby displaying the collected amount.

2. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a changeover switch for instructing the display control unit to switch between a travel distance display and a collected amount display.

3. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit lights up predetermined segments of the segment groups of each digit of the segment display unit when a collected amount is displayed.

4. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle comprises a filter regeneration device for oxidizing the particulate matter collected in the filter device for exhaust gas purification and regenerating the filter device for exhaust gas purification, and

the display control unit displays a regeneration progress state by lighting up the number of segment groups corresponding to a collected amount of the particulate matter detected by the collected amount detection means, when the filter device for exhaust gas purification is regenerated by the filter regeneration device.

5. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein the segment groups of the segment display unit are arranged side by side in a row in a horizontal direction, and

when a regeneration process state is displayed, the display control unit lights up the number of segment groups corresponding to a collected amount successively from a segment group on either the left or right side and blinks a segment group closest to the other side from among the segment groups that are lit up.

6. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 5, comprising a collection-regeneration display unit that can be lit up in two different colors and whose display is controlled by the display control unit,

wherein the display control unit lights up one of the colors on the collection-regeneration display unit when the collected amount is displayed on the segment display unit and lights up the other color on the collection-regeneration display unit when the regeneration progress state is displayed.

7. The display device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the segment display unit and the collection-regeneration display unit are disposed close to each other on an instrument panel of the vehicle.