REMOVABLE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140257623A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ross Carl
• Original Assignee: Ross Carl
• Inventors: Carl, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 9,251,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/61 Specially adapted for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/61 Specially adapted for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/81 Fastening of instruments, e.g. to dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

An instrument system for a vehicle in which information regarding the operation of the vehicle is displayed on the display of a portable communication device. Information regarding the operation of the vehicle may be sensed by at least one sensor. The sensed information may be communicated to a vehicle controller and/or transmitted to the portable communication device. The sensed information may be used by the vehicle controller and/or the portable communication device to derive information regarding the performance or operation of the vehicle and displayed on the display. The portable communication device may also retrieve or derive other information relating to the operation of the vehicle, such as information obtained from a remote server, and display the additional information for the user of the vehicle. The vehicle may be configured to receive the secure placement of the portable communication device in the vehicle, such as on a dashboard.

Claims

1. An instrument system for displaying information for a vehicle on a display of a portable communication device, the instrument system comprising:

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to sense information regarding the operation of the vehicle and provide the information to a transmitter; and

the transmitter operable to transmit the sensed information to the portable communication device for display on the display.

2. The instrument system of claim 1, further including a vehicle controller configured to control the transmission of the sensed information by the transmitter to the portable communication device.

3. The instrument system of claim 2, further including a memory that is configured to record the sensed information, and wherein the vehicle controller is configured to use the recorded information to provide information to the portable communication device regarding maintenance of the vehicle.

4. The instrument system of claim 1, further including a securement mechanism configured to secure the portable communication device to the vehicle.

5. The instrument system of claim 4, further including a shield configured to cover at least a portion of the portable communication device when the portable communication device is secured to the vehicle.

6. The instrument system of claim 4, wherein the securement mechanism includes a housing having an interior portion and an outer portion, the interior portion configured to receive the insertion of the portable communication device.

7. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a pocket configured to receive the insertion of at least a portion of the portable communication device.

8. An instrument system for displaying information for a motorized vehicle on a display of a portable communication device, the instrument system comprising:

a vehicle controller positioned in the motorized vehicle, the vehicle controller having a processor; and

at least one sensor, the at least one sensor configured to provide information regarding the operation of the motorized vehicle to the vehicle controller, the vehicle controller configured to control the transmission of information relating to the information sensed by the at least one sensor to the portable communication device for display on the display of the portable communication device.

9. The instrument system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to derive operational data from the information provided by the at least one sensor, the derived operational data being the information that is transmitted to the portable communication device for display on the display.

10. The instrument system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle controller further includes a transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit information from the vehicle controller to the portable communication device.

11. The instrument system of claim 8, further including a securement mechanism configured to secure the portable communication device to the vehicle.

12. The instrument system of claim 10, wherein the securement mechanism includes a housing having an interior portion and an outer portion, the interior portion configured to receive the insertion of the portable communication device.

13. The instrument system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle controller is operably connected to a data port that is configured for the transmission of data from the vehicle controller to the portable communication device through a wired connection.

14. An instrument system for a motorized vehicle comprising:

a portable communication device having a display and a controller, the controller including a processor, the processor configured to control the display of information on the display; and

an instrument application configured to run on the portable communication device;

the portable communication device configured to receive information regarding the operation of the vehicle from a vehicle transmitter, the instrument application enabling display of the information on the display of the portable communication device.

15. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the portable communication device includes an accelerometer that is configured to provide information relating to the rate of travel of the motorized vehicle.

16. The instrument system of claim 14, further including a memory that is configured to record the received information, and wherein the controller is configured to apply the recorded information to provide information regarding the maintenance of the vehicle.

17. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the portable communication device is a smartphone.

18. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the portable communication device is configured to receive information from a remote server relating to the operation of motorized vehicle and display at least a portion of the information from the remote server on the display.

19. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the instrument application is configured to derive operational data from the information received from the vehicle transmitter, the derived operational data being at least some of the information that is displayed on the display.

20. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the instrument application is configured to display sector information regarding the terrain on which the motorized vehicle is being operated.

21. The instrument system of claim 14, wherein the portable communication device is configured to use terrain information recorded by the portable communication device and information from a Global Positioning System to determine a course of travel for the motorized vehicle.