Programmable vehicle gauge apparatus, system, and method

• US 20070089508A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auto Meter Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Performance Motorsports Incorporated (Race Winning Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allmendinger, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 7,538,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/432.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/154 Combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/04 using a separate indicating element for each variable

Abstract

A programmable vehicle gauge generates and presents display information in accordance with a user modifiable gauge processing configuration. In the exemplary embodiment, data from one or more digital sensor systems is extracted from a digital sensor signal in accordance with a user modifiable data extraction configuration, the extracted data is processed in accordance with a user modifiable display information generation configuration to generate the display information and a user modifiable presentation configuration defines how the display information is presented through an output device. In accordance with the user modifiable presentation configuration, a controller generates control signals to activate visual display devices in a particular format to present the display information generated from the extracted data.

Claims

1. A programmable vehicle gauge comprising:

a controller configured to generate, based on a digital sensor signal, output device control signals in accordance with a user modifiable processing configuration; and

an output device for presenting information based on the digital sensor signal in response to the output device control signals.

2. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 1, the controller comprising processing software defining the user modifiable processing configuration.

3. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 2, wherein the processing software is modifiable by a programming application running on a programming computer connected to the controller.

4. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 3, wherein the processing software comprises at least one modifiable parameter defining the user modifiable processing configuration, the at least one modifiable parameter modifiable by the programming application.

5. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 4, the controller comprising a presentation controller comprising presentation software defining a user modifiable presentation configuration.

6. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 5, wherein the output device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the user modifiable presentation configuration defining a state of each of the LEDs associated with presentation information derived from the digital sensor signal.

7. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 6, wherein the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a plurality of trigger values corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the controller activating each LED when the corresponding trigger value is reached.

8. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 7, wherein LEDs are arranged in an arc, the controller activating the LEDs to represent an analog display representing the presentation information.

9. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 7, wherein the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a range of trigger values.

10. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 6, wherein the LEDs are multicolor LEDs and the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a color of light emitted by each LED in an active state.

11. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 6, wherein the output device comprises an alphanumeric display, the user modifiable presentation configuration defining an information value for presenting through the alphanumeric display.

12. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 11, wherein the information value corresponds to the presentation information presented by the LEDs.

13. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 4, the controller comprising an information generator comprising information generator software defining a user modifiable information generation configuration, the information generator configured to produce display information based on data within the digital sensor signal.

14. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 13, the information generator is configured to calculate an information value based on the data.

15. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 14, wherein the data includes first sensor data captured by a first sensor and second sensor data captured by a second sensor.

16. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 15, the information generator configured to produce the display information in accordance with a table.

17. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 4, the controller comprising a data extractor comprising data extraction software defining a user modifiable data extraction configuration, the data extractor configured to extract data from the digital sensor signal based on the data extraction configuration.

18. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 17, the data extractor configured to extract data bits from locations within the digital sensor signal defined by the data extraction configuration.

19. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 17, wherein the data extractor is configured to extract data captured by a plurality of sensors.

26. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the generating comprises:

executing presentation software defining the user modifiable presentation configuration.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26, wherein generating comprises generating control signals to activate a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the user modifiable presentation configuration defining a state of each of the LEDs associated with presentation information derived from the digital sensor signal.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a plurality of trigger values corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the generating comprises activating each LED when the corresponding trigger value is reached.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein LEDs are arranged in an arc, the activating comprising activating the LEDs to represent an analog display representing the presentation information.

30. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a range of trigger values.

31. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein the LEDs are multicolor LEDs and the user modifiable presentation configuration defines a color of light emitted by each LED in an active state.

20. A method of processing digital signals received from a sensor within a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a digital sensor signal comprising data measured by a sensor;

generating control signals to control a visual output device in accordance with the data and a user modifiable processing configuration.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising:

receiving user entered information at least partially defining the user modifiable processing configuration.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the generating comprises:

executing gauge software defining the user modifiable processing configuration.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the user entered information comprises parameters within the gauge software program.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, further comprising:

communicating with a computer running a programming application configured to modify the gauge software program in accordance with the user entered information, the user entered information accepted by the computer.

25. A method in accordance with claim 20, the generating comprising:

generating the control signals in accordance with a user modifiable presentation configuration.

32. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein the generating comprises generating signals to control an alphanumeric display to present an information value based on the data.

33. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the generating comprises:

generating display information based on data within the digital sensor signal in accordance with a user modifiable information generation configuration.

34. A method in accordance with claim 33, wherein the generating display information comprises:

calculating an information value based on the data.

35. A method in accordance with claim 34, wherein the data includes first sensor data captured by a first sensor and second sensor data captured by a second sensor.

36. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the generating comprises:

extracting data from the digital sensor signal in accordance with a user modifiable data extraction configuration.

37. A method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the extracting comprises extracting data bits from locations within the digital sensor signal defined by the data extraction configuration.

38. A method in accordance with claim 37, wherein the extracting comprises extracting data captured by a plurality of sensors.

39. A vehicle gauge system comprising:

a plurality of sensor systems connected by a data bus, each sensor system comprising a sensor and a data processor configured to convert analog data captured by the sensor into a digital sensor signal;

a programmable vehicle gauge connected the bus and configured to present display information based on the data from at least one of the sensor systems in accordance with a user modifiable gauge processing configuration.

40. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 39, the programmable vehicle gauge comprising processing software defining the user modifiable processing configuration.

41. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 40, wherein the processing software is modifiable by a programming application running on a programming computer connected to the programmable vehicle gauge.

42. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 41, wherein the processing software comprises at least one modifiable parameter defining the user modifiable processing configuration, the at least one modifiable parameter modifiable by the programming application.

43. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 42, the programmable vehicle gauge comprising:

a presentation controller comprising presentation software defining a user modifiable presentation configuration.

44. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 42, the programmable vehicle gauge comprising:

an information generator comprising information generator software defining a user modifiable information generation configuration, the information generator configured to produce display information based on data within the digital sensor signal.

45. A vehicle gauge system in accordance with claim 42, the programmable vehicle gauge comprising:

a data extractor comprising data extraction software defining a user modifiable data extraction configuration, the data extractor configured to extract data from the digital sensor signal based on the data extraction configuration.

46. A programmable vehicle gauge comprising:

a visual output device responsive to control signals;

a controller comprising executable software code for generating the control signals based on presentation information derived from data captured by a sensor, the executable software code modifiable by a programming application running on a computer connected to the programmable vehicle gauge.

47. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 46, wherein the output device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the executable software code for generating the control signals to activate the LEDs in accordance with the presentation information.

48. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 47, the executable software code comprising a plurality of trigger values uniquely associated with each of the plurality of LEDs, the executable software code for generating the control signals to activate each LED when the presentation information reaches the trigger value corresponding to the LED.

49. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 48, wherein the LEDs are arranged in an arc, the executable software code for generating the control signals to activate the LEDs to provide an analog display representing the presentation information.

50. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 48, wherein the plurality of LEDs are multicolor LEDs, the executable software code for generating the control signals to define a color of light emitted by each LED in an active state.

51. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 48, wherein the output device further comprises an alphanumeric display, the executable software code for generating the control signals to present an information value through the alphanumeric display.

52. A programmable vehicle gauge in accordance with claim 51, wherein the information value corresponds to the presentation information presented by the LEDs.