Vehicle meter

• US 9,121,736 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Japan Display Incorporated
• Inventors: Sano, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US14/198,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 340/461, 340/459, 340/438, 340/441
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1515 Reconfigurable dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/193 for improving awareness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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 13/12 Graduation

Abstract

A vehicle meter includes a display device to display an image, an indicator needle disposed on an image display surface side and configured to rotate around one end thereof along the image display surface, a display control unit to switchably display one of a first image and a second image on the display device, each image including scale marks at the other end side of the indicator needle, the scale marks being displayed within a range in a circumferential direction of a predetermined circle centered at a rotational axis of the indicator needle, the second image having the range in the circumferential direction narrower than that of the first image, and an indicator needle control unit to control a range for rotating the indicator needle while the second image is displayed to be smaller than that while the first image is displayed.

Claims

1. A vehicle meter comprising:

a display device configured to display an image on a display surface including a first display area and a second display area adjacent to the first display area;

an indicator needle which is a rod-like member disposed on an image display surface side of the display device and which is configured to rotate around one end of the rod-like member along the image display surface;

a display control unit configured to display, on the display surface, alternatively one of a first image and a second image that has an area narrower than an area of the first image in a circumferential direction, the first image and the second image each including a plurality of scale marks at the other end side of the rod-like member, the plurality of scale marks being displayed within a range in a circumferential direction of a predetermined circle centered at a rotational axis of the indicator needle; and

an indicator needle control unit configured to control the indicator needle,

wherein the display control unit is configured to control to display;

in a first mode that the first image is displayed, only the first image over both of the first display area and the second display area; and

in a second mode that the second image is displayed, the second image only in the first display area and a third image in the second display area, the third image being different from the first image and the second image,

wherein the indicator needle control unit is configured to control the indicator needle in such a manner that a rotating range of the second image being displayed is smaller than a rotating range of the indicator needle of the first image being displayed,

wherein first information indicated by the first image and the indicator needle is the same as second information indicated by the second image and the indicator needle,

wherein a first maximum value and a first minimum value of the scale marks displayed in the first image are the same as a second maximum value and a second minimum value of the scale marks displayed in the second image, and

wherein a second distance between adjacent scale marks of the second image is smaller than a first distance between adjacent scale marks of the first image.

2. The vehicle meter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a through hole passing through the image display surface and an opposite side surface of the display device;

a shaft mounted on the indicator needle at the one end side of the rod-like member through the through hole; and

an indicator needle drive device configured to rotate the indicator needle via the shaft.

3. The vehicle meter according to claim 1,

wherein the second mode, the display control unit displays the plurality of scale marks of the second image in the first display area which is an upper region of the second display area.