Apparatus and method for displaying cluster

• US 9,409,481 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Kum Lim
• Primary Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US14/144,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23.21, 362/459, 362/489
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/188 Displaying information using colour changes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/20 Optical features of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/341 Illumination of dials
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/349 Adjustment of brightness
• 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
• 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 7/002 giving both analog and numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/005 Indication of measured value by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for displaying a cluster are provided. The apparatus includes a driving sensor that senses a driving state of a mobile object and a display unit that converts a method of displaying a cluster indisposed within the mobile object. A controller is configured illuminate a scale and a pointer that indicates the scale based on the sensed driving state of the mobile object. In addition, the controller detects a current driving state of the mobile object in real time to generate a control signal with respect to the display method including a brightness degree, a brightness region, and a color of the scale.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying a cluster, the apparatus comprising:

a driving sensor configured to sense a driving state of a mobile object;

a display unit configured to convert a method of displaying a cluster disposed within the mobile object; and

a controller configured to;

display a scale and a pointer that indicates the scale based on the sensed driving state of the mobile object; and

detect a current driving state of the mobile object in real time to generate a control signal with respect to the display method including a brightness degree, a brightness region, and a color of the scale,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

detect the acceleration of the mobile object; and

estimate a speed of the mobile object after a threshold time period based on the acceleration to illuminate a range of the scale ranging to the estimated speed of the mobile object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein information displayed on the cluster comprises information regarding an acceleration and an engine Revolution Per Minute (RPM) of the mobile object.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

adjust the pointer to indicate a state of an engine RMP of the mobile object; and

estimate variation of the engine RMP based on the speed of the mobile object and a sensed value of an accelerator position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to:

illuminate a range of the scale based on a position of the pointer based on the estimated variation of the engine RPM.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

gradually decrease an illumination brightness of the scale in a direction of a scale position that corresponds to the estimated speed from a scale position that corresponds to a current speed of the mobile object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

enlarge a number that indicates a current speed of the mobile object to display the enlarged number at a pointer position that indicates the current speed of the mobile object.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a display device that has a liquid crystal display (LCD).

8. A method of displaying a cluster, the method comprising:

detecting, by a controller, a driving state of a mobile object;

displaying, by the controller, a pointer based on the detected driving state of the mobile object;

detecting, by the controller, a current driving state of the mobile object in real time; and

changing, by the controller, a display method including a brightness degree, a brightness region, and a color of the scale to display the pointer and the scale on a display unit,

wherein the changing of the display method to display the point and the scale includes;

detecting by the controller, a current driving state of the mobile object in real time;

estimating, by the controller, a state of the mobile object after a threshold time period; and

gradually decreasing, by the controller, illumination brightness of the scale in a direction of a scale position that corresponds to the estimated state from a scale position at which the pointer is displayed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the pointer includes:

detecting, by the controller, cluster information that includes an acceleration and an engine Revolution Per Minute (RPM) of the mobile object to display the pointer based on the detected result.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the pointer further comprises:

program instructions that detect cluster information that includes an acceleration and an engine Revolution Per Minute (RPM) of the mobile object to display the pointer based on the detected result.

11. The method of claim 8, after estimating the state of the mobile object after the threshold time period, further comprising:

illuminating, by the controller, a particular region based on a scale position at which the pointer is displayed when variation of the state of the mobile object is not estimated.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the display unit includes a display device that has a liquid crystal display (LCD).

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that detect a driving state of a mobile object;

program instructions that display a pointer based on the detected driving state of the mobile object;

program instructions that detect a current driving state of the mobile object in real time; and

program instructions that change a display method including a brightness degree, a brightness region, and a color of the scale to display the pointer and the scale on a display unit,

wherein changing of the display method to display the point and the scale further comprises;

program instructions that detect a current driving state of the mobile object in real time;

program instructions that estimate a state of the mobile object after a threshold time period; and

program instruction that gradually decrease illumination brightness of the scale in a direction of scale position that corresponds to the estimated state from a scale position at which the pointer is displayed.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein after estimating the state of the mobile object after the threshold time period further comprises:

program instructions that illuminate a particular region based on a scale position at which the pointer is displayed when variation of the state of the mobile object is not estimated.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the display unit includes a display device that has a liquid crystal display (LCD).