Customizable graphical display

• US 8,483,907 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PACCAR Incorporated
• Inventors: Tarte, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US12/711,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/49, 715/764, 715/765, 345/10, 345/12, 345/20, 345/77, 345/83, 345/690
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/151 Instrument output devices for configurable output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/151 Reconfigurable output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/154 Combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/155 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/186 Displaying Information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1868 according to driving situations
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/193 for improving awareness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/20 Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• 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 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• 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: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 : Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 : Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosed subject matter are directed to customizing the colors of instruments that are used to convey vehicle readings. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided that obtains input to perform a color change to one or more instruments presented on a graphical display. For each instrument affected by the color change, a determination is made regarding whether a threshold level of contrast exists between a symbol graphic of the instrument and one or more background colors. If a threshold level of contrast does not exist, the contrast ratio between the symbol graphic and one or more background colors is adjusted to at least the threshold level. Then the method causes the graphical display to render the one or more instruments in accordance with the received color selections.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a graphical display, the method comprising:

by a processor, obtaining input configured to cause a color change to one or more instruments presented on the graphical display, wherein color assigned to the one or more instruments is independently customizable by a user;

by the processor, for each instrument affected by the color change;

determining whether a level of contrast between a symbol graphic of the instrument and one or more background colors of the instrument is below a threshold level of contrast; and

if the level of contrast is below the threshold level of contrast, adjusting the contrast ratio between the symbol graphic and the one or more background colors to at least the threshold level; and

by the processor, causing the graphical display to render the one or more instruments.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the input is obtained responsive to direct user interaction with controls in a vehicle to select a color for an instrument.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the input is obtained responsive to user interaction with an application executed on a computing device, and wherein the application is configured to generate data that describes a color configuration of the one or more instruments.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the input comprises a template that defines a common visual theme for the one or more instruments rendered on the graphical display.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the common visual theme defined in the template may be superseded by a user-defined color selection for an individual instrument.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein adjusting the contrast ratio includes modifying luminance of the symbol graphic or one or more background colors.

7. A system for conveying information to a vehicle operator, comprising:

a graphical display configured to display an instrument cluster comprising one or more instruments configured to convey vehicle readings;

a memory having stored therein program instructions of a display module configured to facilitate customization of the graphical display, wherein color assigned to the one or more instruments is independently customizable; and

a processor configured to execute the program instructions of the display module to;

obtain input configured to cause a color change to the one or more instruments displayed on the graphical display;

for each instrument affected by the color change;

determine whether a level of contrast between a symbol graphic of the instrument and one or more background colors of the instrument is below a threshold level of contrast; and

if the level of contrast is below the threshold level of contrast, adjust the contrast ratio between the symbol graphic and one or more background colors to at least the threshold level; and

cause the graphical display to render the one or more instruments.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the input is obtained responsive to direct user interaction with controls in a vehicle to select a color for an instrument.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the input is obtained responsive to user interaction with an application executed on a computing device, and wherein the application is configured to generate data that describes a color configuration of the one or more instruments.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the input comprises a template that defines a common visual theme for the one or more instruments.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the common visual theme defined in the template may be superseded by a user-defined color selection for an individual instrument.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the program instructions of the display module to modify luminance of the symbol graphic or one or more background colors to adjust the contrast ratio.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon modules comprising:

a user interface module comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer to obtain selections that describe a color configuration of one or more instruments configured to convey vehicle readings;

a database module comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause the computer to store data that describes visual attributes of the one or more instruments including the selections obtained by the user interface module;

an adjustment module comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause the computer to identify the amount of contrast between a symbol graphic and one or more background colors of the one or more instruments and to increase the amount of contrast if the amount of contrast is below a threshold level of contrast; and

a display module comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause the computer to render the one or more instruments on a graphical display.

14. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising a template module comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause the computer to apply a common color theme to two or more of the instruments.

15. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the common color theme may be superseded by a user-defined color selection.

16. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions configured to generate data that describes the color configuration of the one or more instruments.

17. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the selections are obtained via input controls of a vehicle.

18. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the adjustment module further comprises computer-executable instructions configured to cause the computer to increase the amount of contrast by modifying luminance of the symbol graphic color or the one or more background colors.

19. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the color configuration comprises different background colors for two or more of the instruments.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the color configuration comprises different colors for the symbol graphics of two or more of the instruments.