Indicator system for outdoor power equipment
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A riding lawn mower comprising:
- a cutting system comprising at least one blade for cutting grass;
a drive system comprising at least one wheel for propelling the riding lawn mower;
an engine operably coupled to the cutting system and the drive system for powering the drive system and the cutting system;
an operator station upon which an operator can ride during operation of the riding lawn care vehicle mower;
an operator control system located proximate to the operator station and operably coupled to the drive system and the cutting system;
a computer system configured to detect an occurrence of a predefined condition related to the operator or operation of the cutting system, drive system, or engine; and
an indicator system positioned proximate to the operator station, the indicator system comprising an illuminating element and a display screen,wherein the illuminating element surrounds at least a portion of a perimeter of the display screen, andwherein the computer system is configured to, upon detection of the occurrence of a particular predefined condition, illuminate the illuminating element in a particular manner based on the particular predefined condition and display information about the particular predefined condition on the display screen,wherein the illuminating element is configured to illuminate at least three different colors, wherein a first color indicates a warning being displayed on the display screen, a second color indicates that there are no warnings, and a third color indicates that information of a neutral type is being displayed on the display screen.
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Abstract
An indicator system for outdoor power equipment, such as a riding lawn mower, may include an illuminating element around the perimeter of a display screen. The illuminating element may be configured to illuminate in a predetermined manner based on a predefined condition occurring in order to alert the operator to the display screen. The display screen may be configured to display more detail about the predefined condition while the illuminating element is illuminated.
27 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A riding lawn mower comprising:
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a cutting system comprising at least one blade for cutting grass; a drive system comprising at least one wheel for propelling the riding lawn mower; an engine operably coupled to the cutting system and the drive system for powering the drive system and the cutting system; an operator station upon which an operator can ride during operation of the riding lawn care vehicle mower; an operator control system located proximate to the operator station and operably coupled to the drive system and the cutting system; a computer system configured to detect an occurrence of a predefined condition related to the operator or operation of the cutting system, drive system, or engine; and an indicator system positioned proximate to the operator station, the indicator system comprising an illuminating element and a display screen, wherein the illuminating element surrounds at least a portion of a perimeter of the display screen, and wherein the computer system is configured to, upon detection of the occurrence of a particular predefined condition, illuminate the illuminating element in a particular manner based on the particular predefined condition and display information about the particular predefined condition on the display screen, wherein the illuminating element is configured to illuminate at least three different colors, wherein a first color indicates a warning being displayed on the display screen, a second color indicates that there are no warnings, and a third color indicates that information of a neutral type is being displayed on the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An indicator system for outdoor power equipment, the indicator system comprising:
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an electrical system configured to determine an occurrence of a predefined condition; a display screen; and an illuminating element corresponding to the display screen, wherein the electrical system is configured to, upon detection of an occurrence of a particular predefined condition, illuminate the illuminating element in a particular manner based on the particular predefined condition and display visual information about the particular predefined condition on the display screen while the illuminating element is illuminated in the particular manner, wherein the illuminating element surrounds at least a portion of a perimeter of the display screen, wherein the illuminating element is configured to illuminate at least three different colors, wherein a first color indicates a warning being displayed on the display screen, a second color indicates that there are no warnings, and a third color indicates that information of a neutral type is being displayed on the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of alerting an operator of a riding lawn mower, comprising:
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monitoring the riding lawn mower to determine if any predefined triggering conditions have occurred; detecting that a particular predefined triggering condition has occurred; in response to detecting an occurrence of the particular predefined triggering condition, illuminating a periphery of a display screen in a first color or second color based on the particular predefined triggering condition or based on a type of predefined triggering condition that comprises the particular predefined triggering condition; displaying text or graphics that provide more detail about the particular predefined triggering condition on the display screen while illuminating the periphery of the display screen in the first color or second color; and in response to the particular predefined triggering condition having been corrected or overridden, illuminating the periphery of the display screen to a third color, wherein the first, second, and third colors are all different colors, wherein the first color indicates a warning being displayed on the display screen, the second color indicates that information of a neutral type is being displayed on the display screen, and the third color indicates that there are no warnings. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification