System and method for providing a display utilizing a fast photon indicator

• US 7,113,077 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ACCEL Performance Group, LLC (High Performance Industries, Inc.), Racepak LLC (High Performance Industries, Inc.), MSD, LLC, Powerteq LLC
• Original Assignee: Autotronic Controls Corporation (Valueact Holdings II LP)
• Inventors: Masters, Stephen C., Gerber, Ingolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US11/040,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20060164229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/461, 340/815.5, 340/815.78, 362/23, 362/26, 116 46- 48
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/28 Structurally-combined illuminating devices

Abstract

A measuring gauge includes a rotatable LED pointer having a light output. As the pointer is rotated about a lens at a constant rate, the output of the LED pointer appears as an arc of light to a user. The arc of light represents a quantity of a desired display unit. A brushless motor and a rotary transformer are magnetically coupled to the LED pointer. A high speed controller is coupled to the motor and the rotary transformer. The controller receives an indication of the quantity and is responsively programmed to actuate the rotary transformer in order to illuminate the LED pointer as it rotates radially about a face of a graduated lens at a substantially constant speed and to activate and deactivate the LED pointer so as to adjust the length of the arc of light and thereby to indicate the quantity of the desired display unit to the user.

Claims

1. A measuring gauge comprising:

a rotatable LED pointer having a light output, the output of the LED pointer appearing an arc of light to a user as the pointer is rotated, the arc of light representing a quantity of a desired display unit;

a rotary transformer;

a brushless motor magnetically coupled to the LED pointer;

a high speed controller coupled to the motor and the rotary transformer, the controller receiving an indication of the quantity and responsively programmed to actuate the rotary transformer in order to illuminate the LED pointer rotating radially about a face of a graduated lens at a substantially constant speed and to activate and deactivate the LED pointer so as to adjust the length of the arc of light and thereby to indicate the quantity of the desired display unit to the user;

a touch switch to allow the user to view, reset, and program operating functions of the gauge; and

circuitry for sensing the ambient light level for responsively controlling the intensity of the LED pointer and a LED shift light output.

2. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the high speed controller receives a signal indicating both a speed of the motor and an angular position of the motor and wherein the rotary transformer comprises a primary winding and a secondary winding;

and

wherein the high speed controller drives the primary winding of the rotary transformer, the primary winding being stationary, wherein the controller also drives the secondary winding, the secondary winding being magnetically coupled to the primary winding, the secondary winding rotating to provide a drive current to the LED pointer.

3. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the touch switch is mounted in a gage lens backside and the touch switch is polled by the high speed controller;

wherein the touch switch has no moving parts and exposed electrodes;

wherein the high speed controller performs debounce functions for the touch switch; and

wherein the touch switch provides functions selected from a group comprising viewing a preset shiftlight value as an arc of light at a programmed shiftlight value;

resetting a peak RPM value; and

allowing the user to reset the shiftlight value.

4. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for sensing ambient light is controlled by an adjustable voltage regulator and light sensing device;

and

wherein a voltage output of the circuitry is set to specific minimum and maximum voltage output values.

5. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the rotary transformer is driven by the high speed controller with a high frequency gated clock signal;

and

wherein the rotary transformer has a stationary primary winding and a rotating secondary winding; and

wherein the transformer delivers power to the rotating LED pointer to produce a point of light and an arc of light visible to the user through a display lens.

6. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the desired unit is engine RPM.

7. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the desired units are air/fuel ratios.

8. The gauge of claim 1 further comprising an LED backlight portion for providing backlight for the display of the arc of light.

9. The gauge of claim 1 further comprising a power supply and input protection circuit for providing over-voltage protection to the controller.

10. The gauge of claim 1 further comprising a shift light driver and LED circuit for providing a shift light to a user.

11. The gauge of claim 1 further comprising a cylinder select BCD switch, the switch allowing a user to select a number of cylinders in an engine.

12. The gauge of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to display an indicia representative of a peak value of the indication of the quantity to display on the lens.

13. A method of providing measurement information to a user comprising:

receiving information indicating a quantity to be displayed;

determining activation times of when to activate and deactivate an LED pointer to produce an arc of light as the pointer is rotated, the arc having a length based upon the quantity indicated in the received information; and

rotating the LED pointer about a glass lens at a substantially constant rate of speed and activating the LED pointer according to the activation times to display the arc of light to a user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a maximum value of the received information and displaying the maximum value to the user.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a minimum value of the received information and displaying the minimum value to the user.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving engine RPM data.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the receiving the information comprises receiving air/fuel meter data.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing an LED backlight portion for providing backlight for the glass lens.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing a shift light to a user.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising allowing a user to select a number of cylinders in an engine.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining and displaying a both minimum and maximum peak values of the received information.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising allowing the user to program a shiftlight value by displaying an arc of light representative of an RPM value.

23. A measuring gauge comprising:

a rotating light pipe having a light output, the output of the pipe reflected from a mirror about a lens and appearing an arc of light to a user, the arc of light representing a quantity of a desired display unit;

a stationary LED for providing light to the light pipe;

a brushless motor coupled to the light pipe; and

a high speed controller coupled to the motor, the controller receiving an indication of the quantity and responsively programmed to illuminate the LED in order to illuminate the light pipe radially about a face of the lens at a substantially constant speed and to activate and deactivate the stationary LED so as to adjust the length of the arc of light and thereby to indicate the quantity of the desired display unit to the user.

24. The gauge of claim 23 wherein a desired unit is engine RPM.

25. The gauge of claim 23 wherein a desired units are air/fuel ratios.

26. The gauge of claim 23 further comprising an LED backlight portion for providing backlight for the display of the arc of light.

27. The gauge of claim 23 further comprising a power supply and input protection circuit for providing over-voltage protection to the controller.

28. The gauge of claim 23 further comprising a shift light driver and LED circuit for providing a shift light to a user.

29. The gauge of claim 23 further comprising a cylinder select BCD switch, the switch allowing a user to select a number of cylinders in an engine.

30. The gauge of claim 23 wherein the controller is further programmed to display an indicia representative of a peak value of the indication of the quantity to display.

31. The method of claim 23 further comprising allowing the user to program a shiftlight value by displaying an arc of light representative of an RPM value.