Display system for use in a vehicle

• US 8,538,625 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phahol Lowchareonkul
• Original Assignee: Phahol Lowchareonkul
• Inventors: Lowchareonkul, Phahol
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US11/811,741
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/34, 701/35, 701/1, 701/33.2, 701/36, 340/425.5, 340/691.6, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 701/33.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1523 Matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1523 Matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/186 Displaying Information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions

Abstract

In an embodiment, a display system and method configured to be used for providing a user with information regarding the operating conditions of the vehicle. The system comprises a sensor that is configured to measure an operating condition of the vehicle, wherein the sensor provides a measurement signal based on the measured operating condition. The system includes a processor which is coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the measurement signal. The system includes a display module, preferably an organic light emitting diode (OLED), which is mounted to the vehicle, wherein the OLED displays sensor data received from the processor which is associated with the measurement signal and is to be read by a user. The sensor data is selectively displayed in compliance with a customizably programmable display profile, whereby the user is able to create and transfer the display profile in which form desired.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising:

a first interface module configured to communicate with at least one first sensor module that measures a first operating condition of the vehicle, wherein the at least one first sensor module provides a first measurement signal based on the first measured operating condition to the first interface module;

a second interface module coupled to the first interface module in a daisy chain fashion through a port, wherein the first and second interface modules are modularly configured to be scalable to connect with one or more additional interface modules, the second interface module configured to communicate with at least one second sensor module that measures a second operating condition of the vehicle, wherein the at least one second sensor module provides a second measurement signal based on the second measured operating condition to the second interface module, the second interface module configured to output the first measurement signal with the second measurement signal in a time division multiplexed manner;

wherein each interface module includes a processor and a memory, wherein the second interface module is configured to receive at least the multiplexed first and second measurement signals and display sensor data representative of the received multiplexed measurement signals in compliance with a customizably programmable display profile;

wherein the interface modules and the display module are not integrated in a dashboard of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display profile further comprises a plurality of template components, wherein a processor corresponds the measurement signal with the template components to output the sensor date in compliance with the display profile.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display profile is a software executable file, wherein the file is created on an external computer and transferred to the processor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the display profile is modifiable to create modified display profile wherein the modified display profile is created by the user on said external computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first sensor further comprises a plurality of first sensors configured to measure a plurality of respective operating conditions of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of first sensors are coupled to the processor of the first sensor module in a serial configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to compare sensor data from the first and second interface modules with one or more set perimeter values and output said comparison via the display, wherein the display outputs an alert when the comparison is within a threshold of the one or more set perimeter values.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display further comprises an OLED display, wherein the OLED display includes an integrated color palette configured to be customizable to output a plurality of colors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to output one or more digital representations of an analog output, a digital output, a graph and/or a table to the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor displays maximum and/or minimum measurement values from one or more sensor modules over a duration via the display.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor module communicates the measurement signals wirelessly to an interface module.

11. A method for displaying an operating condition of a vehicle comprising:

installing a plurality of interface modules, in a vehicle, wherein each interface module includes an input port and an output port, each interface module is coupled to one or more sensors configured to measures an operating condition of the vehicle, wherein measurement signals representative of the operating condition of the vehicle are sent from the one or more sensors to their respective interface modules, the interface modules being modularly configured to be scalable to connect with one or more additional interface modules;

coupling the plurality of interface modules serially in a daisy chain through a port, wherein each interface module combines measurement signals from its respective sensor with the measurement signals received from one or more interface modules located upstream in the daisy chain in a time division multiplexed manner;

receiving the measurement signals from the coupled interface modules at an interface module and processing, using a processor, the multiplexed measurement signals into sensor data; and

displaying sensor data associated with the sensor data via a display module coupled to the processor, wherein the display module receives the sensor data from the plurality of interface modules and selectively displays the sensor data in compliance with a customizably programmable display profile;

wherein the interface modules and the display module are not integrated in a dashboard of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the display profile further comprises a plurality of template components, wherein processor corresponds the measurement signal with the template components to output the sensor data in compliance with the display profile.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the display profile is a software executable file, wherein the file is created on an external computer and transferred to the processor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to compare sensor data from the interface modules with one or more set perimeter values and output said comparison via the display module, wherein the display module outputs an alert when the measurement values are within a threshold of the one or more set perimeter values.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the display module further comprises an OLED display, wherein the OLED display includes an integrated color palette configured to be customizable to output a plurality of colors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to output one or more digital representations of an analog output, a digital output, a graph and/or a table to the OLED display.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one sensor module communicates the measurement signals wirelessly to an interface module.

18. A vehicle-mounted apparatus comprising:

a plurality of modular based interface modules coupled serially to one another in a daisy chain through a port, wherein each interface module is coupled respectively to one or more sensors that measure one or more operating conditions of a vehicle, wherein each interface module outputs measurement signals received from its respective one or more sensors to a subsequent interface module in the daisy chain, wherein the subsequent interface module arranges the received measurement signals in a time division multiplexed manner with measurement signals of its own one or more sensors, the interface modules being modularly configured to be scalable wherein at least one interface module is configured to be coupled to at least one additional interface module;

wherein each interface module processes measurement signals to output sensor data representative of the operating conditions of the vehicle; and

a display module coupled to at least one of the interface modules, wherein the display module displays the output sensor data in compliance with a customizably programmable display profile;

wherein the interface modules and the display module are not integrated in a dashboard of the vehicle.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one sensor module communicates the measurement signals wirelessly to an interface module.