JP2007248387A - Measuring instrument for use in vehicle equipped with lighting presentment functions - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a measuring instrument for use in a vehicle, which exhibits novel lighting presentations, while it does not leave a sense of discomfort after the presentation. <P>SOLUTION: A voltage duty ratio to be supplied to a LED 8 is set to a minimum level, when power is turned ON (S31); and each time a predetermined time period elapses ("Y" in S32), the duty ratio is increased by a constant value (S33). This procedure is repeated, until the maximum duty ratio is reached. When the duty ratio reaches a maximum ("Y" in S34), whether it is at night is determined (S35). After the luminance of the LED 8 is controlled to be a set value by a rheostat 15 (S36), if it is at night (Y in S35), or after the LED 8 has been turned off (S37); if it is not at night (N in S35), meter operation control processing (S4) is carried out. Since the luminance of the LED 8, after the lighting presentation, can be set to an arbitrary stationary value desired by the user by adjusting the value of the rheostat, the luminance of the LED 8 can be increased gradually for the novel lighting presentation without leaving a sense of discomfort after the presentment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular instrument having a novel effect function by illumination.

  FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating the appearance of the vehicle meter. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. This vehicle meter is a combination meter in which a fuel meter M1, a water temperature meter M2, a speed meter M3, a tachometer M4, a shift indicator M5, and the like are integrated, a dial 1, dial 2, pointer 3, LCD 4, and table The cover 5 and the back cover 6 are included. A plurality of LEDs 8 are disposed on a circuit board 7 provided behind the dial 2 for illuminating the dial 2 and the pointer 3.

  Some of these types of vehicular instruments provide lighting effects such as starting the illumination of the pointer first and then the illumination of the dial plate when the ignition switch is turned on. Has already become commonplace and has a fresh taste.

  Therefore, in order to give a more novel impression to the user (that is, the passenger), there has been proposed something that makes elaborate effects such as gradually increasing the lighting, gradually decreasing the lighting, etc. At the end of the nighttime, after the end of production, there may be a feeling of discomfort due to the difference in brightness (luminance) of the user's favorite lighting (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-264196 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular instrument that does not leave a sense of incongruity after completion of the production while performing a novel illumination production.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a vehicle instrument according to the present invention is:
A display unit;
A light source for illuminating the display unit;
A control device that performs lighting effects by controlling the luminance of the light source unsteadily;
A vehicular instrument comprising:
A light source luminance setting device for setting the luminance of the light source at the end of the lighting effect to an arbitrary steady value;
The control device is
The lighting effect is started by using a predetermined operation signal during non-running as a trigger, and the luminance value of the light source is gradually increased or decreased from a predetermined value at the time of the lighting effect, and the light source luminance is at the end of the effect. Control to set value by setting device,
It is characterized by that.

  The vehicular instrument configured in this way can perform a novel illumination effect by gradually increasing or decreasing the brightness value of the light source from a predetermined value, and also adjusting the light source brightness setting device Thus, since the brightness of the light source at the end of the lighting effect can be set to an arbitrary steady value desired by the user, there is no sense of discomfort after the effect ends.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the vehicle meter according to the present invention is:
A display unit;
A light source for illuminating the display unit;
A control device that performs lighting effects by controlling the luminance of the light source unsteadily;
A vehicular instrument comprising:
A light source luminance setting device for setting the luminance of the light source at the end of the lighting effect to an arbitrary steady value;
The control device is
The lighting effect is started using a predetermined operation signal when not running as a trigger, and the luminance value of the light source is periodically increased or decreased during the lighting effect, and the value set by the light source luminance setting device at the end of the effect. To be controlled,
It is characterized by that.

  The vehicle instrument configured as described above can perform a novel illumination effect by periodically increasing or decreasing the value of the luminance of the light source, and in addition, the illumination effect can be completed by adjusting the light source luminance setting device. Since the brightness of the light source at the time can be set to an arbitrary steady value desired by the user, there is no sense of incongruity after the presentation ends.

  The predetermined operation signal described above is preferably a signal that is generated when the ignition switch is turned on or the door is opened from the outside.

  The light source luminance setting device preferably includes a rheostat.

  According to the vehicular instrument of the present invention, an uncomfortable feeling is not left after the production is finished while performing a novel illumination production.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the best mode for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of each embodiment of a vehicle instrument according to the present invention. The appearance and cross-sectional structure of the vehicle instrument are the same as those in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle instrument has a CPU (control device) 10 that performs main control, an EEPROM 11 that functions as a storage unit that stores a control program and various data, and a constant voltage power source 12. ing. The constant voltage power supply 12 converts the DC voltage from the battery power supply + B into a voltage of a predetermined level (for example, 5V) and supplies it to the CPU 10.

  The CPU 10 includes an ignition switch 13 signal (on / off signal), a lighting switch 14 signal (on / off signal), a rheostat (ie, light source luminance setting device) 15 signal (resistance setting value), and an in-vehicle LAN 16 Various signals (speed data, rotation speed data, fuel remaining amount data, temperature data, door opening / closing operation signal, etc.), a trip knob switch 17 signal, and the like are input.

  Then, the CPU 10 processes the input signals to control the speedometer movement, the tachometer movement, the fuel system movement, the water temperature movement, the LCD 4 and the LED 8 drive circuit.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle meter according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the basic operation of each embodiment of the vehicle meter according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the lighting effect operation in the first embodiment of the vehicle meter according to the present invention. The following processing is performed under the control of the CPU 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, after initializing temporary storage (ie, step S1), the CPU 10 waits for the constant voltage power supply 12 to be turned on (ie, step S2). The constant voltage power supply 12 is turned on by turning on the ignition switch. When the constant voltage power supply 12 is turned on (ie, “Y (Yes)” in step S2), the lighting effect process (ie, step S3) and the meter operation control process (ie, step S4) are sequentially performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the lighting effect process (ie, step S3), the duty ratio of the voltage supplied to the LED 8, that is, the luminance value is set to the lowest level (ie, step S31), and every time a fixed time elapses. (Ie, “Y” in step S32), the duty ratio is increased by a certain value (ie, step S33). This process is repeated until the duty ratio is maximized. When the duty ratio reaches the maximum (ie, “Y” in step S34), it is determined whether or not it is currently night (ie, step S35). Whether it is night or not can be determined, for example, by whether or not the night illumination switch of the vehicle is turned on. If it is currently nighttime (ie, “Y” in step S35), after controlling the luminance of the LED 8 to be a value set by the rheostat 15 (ie, step S36), the meter operation control process (ie, step S4) is performed. move on. On the other hand, if it is not the current night (ie, “N (No)” in step S35), after the LED 8 is turned off (ie, step S37), the process proceeds to the meter operation control process (ie, step S4). In the meter operation control process (ie, step S4), various instruments such as a speedometer and a tachometer are controlled based on various input signals. In this example of the lighting effect operation, the luminance of the LED 8 is gradually changed to the maximum luminance regardless of the setting value by the rheostat 15, but the luminance of the LED 8 is the maximum luminance set by the rheostat 15 (that is, the rheostat 15). It may be changed gradually until it reaches the set value).

  4 and 5 are flowcharts showing a flow of an example of interruption processing in the lighting effect operation of each embodiment of the vehicle instrument according to the present invention. When a speed signal (speed sensor signal, accelerator operation signal) is input during execution of the lighting effect process (ie, step S3) (ie, “Y” in step S41), the CPU 10 performs the lighting effect process (ie, “Y”). Step S3) is immediately stopped (ie, step S42), and the meter operation control process (ie, step S4) is started. In addition, when the nighttime illumination switch is turned on in the middle of the lighting effect process (that is, step S3) (that is, “Y” in step S51), the CPU 10 immediately stops the lighting effect process (that is, step S3). (I.e., step S52), the luminance of the LED 8 is controlled so as to become a set value by the rheostat 15 (i.e., step S36).

  The vehicular instrument of the first embodiment configured as described above can gradually increase the brightness value of the LED 8 from the lowest level to perform a novel lighting effect. In addition, the value of the rheostat 15 can be set. By adjusting, the brightness of the LED 8 at the end of the lighting effect can be set to an arbitrary steady value desired by the user, so that no uncomfortable feeling is left after the effect ends.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the lighting effect operation in the second embodiment of the vehicle meter according to the present invention.

  As a main difference from the lighting effect operation in the first embodiment, in the lighting effect process of the flow shown in FIG. 6 (that is, step S3), first, the LED 8 is turned on (that is, step S61), and then a certain time has passed ( That is, “Y” in step S62), the LED 8 is turned off (ie, step S63). Thereafter, when a certain time has passed (ie, “Y” in step S64), the LED 8 is turned on (ie, step S65). That is, in the illumination effect process (that is, step S3) of the second embodiment, the LED 8 is lit twice at a constant cycle. Thereafter, when a certain period of time has passed (ie, “Y” in step S66), it is determined whether or not it is currently night (ie, step S67). If it is night (ie, “Y” in step S67), the LED 8 Is controlled so as to become the set value by the rheostat 15 (ie, step S68), and then the meter operation control process (ie, step S4) is performed. On the other hand, if it is not the current night (ie, “N” in step S67), after the LED 8 is turned off (ie, step S69), the process proceeds to the meter operation control process (ie, step S4). The interrupt processing of FIGS. 4 and 5 is similarly performed in the lighting effect processing (that is, step S3) of the second embodiment.

  The vehicular instrument according to the second embodiment configured as described above can perform a novel illumination effect by periodically blinking the LED 8 and, in addition, by adjusting the value of the rheostat 15, the illumination effect can be achieved. Since the brightness of the LED 8 at the end of the can be set to an arbitrary steady value desired by the user, there is no sense of discomfort after the end of the presentation.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the first embodiment, the brightness value of the LED 8 is gradually increased from the lowest level to perform a novel lighting effect, but the brightness of the LED 8 is gradually decreased from a predetermined value to achieve a novel lighting effect. It is also possible to implement.

  In the second embodiment, the LED 8 is blinked twice in the lighting effect process (that is, step S3). Needless to say, the LED 8 may be blinked more times.

  Moreover, it is possible to perform a more innovative illumination effect by appropriately combining the operations of the illumination effect process (that is, step S3) in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. As one example of the operation, the luminance value of the LED 8 is gradually increased from the lowest level to the maximum luminance, and then the light is turned off when a certain time elapses, and the luminance value of the LED 8 is gradually increased again after a certain time elapses. It is determined that the brightness is set to the maximum brightness, and it is determined whether or not it is nighttime at a certain time, and the brightness of the LED 8 is controlled to be a set value by the rheostat 15 at night, and the LED 8 is turned off at night. Can be mentioned. This operation can be realized by executing the processes in steps S31 to S34 in FIG. 3 in the LED lighting process in FIG. 6 (that is, steps S61 and S65). As another example of operation, the luminance value of the LED 8 is gradually increased from the minimum level to the maximum luminance, then the luminance value of the LED 8 is gradually decreased from the maximum level, and then the light is turned off. Gradually increase to the maximum brightness, and after a certain period of time has passed, it is determined whether or not it is now night. If it is night, the brightness of the LED 8 is controlled to the set value by the rheostat 15; A series of operations of turning off the light can be mentioned. As another example of operation, first, the LED 8 is turned on, then the brightness value of the LED 8 is gradually reduced and turned off, and then the LED 8 is turned on when a certain time elapses, and is the current night when a certain time elapses? It can be determined whether or not the brightness of the LED 8 is controlled to a set value by the rheostat 15 at night, and the LED 8 is turned off at night.

  In the above embodiment, the LED 8 is turned off unless it is currently nighttime. However, in the case of a so-called black face meter, the LED 8 is not turned off even at night, and the brightness of the LED 8 is set to a value set by the rheostat 15. It is desirable to control.

  In the above embodiment, the lighting effect process (that is, step S3) is started using the operation signal generated when the ignition switch is turned on as a trigger. However, the vehicle door is opened from the outside. The illumination effect process (that is, step S3) may be started using an operation signal generated along with the trigger as a trigger.

  In addition, the light source luminance setting device in the vehicle meter of the present invention may be configured to transmit information on the setting value of the luminance of the LED 8 by the rheostat 15 to the CPU 10 through the in-vehicle LAN 16.

  The vehicle meter of the present invention can perform a novel illumination effect, and in addition, the brightness of the light source at the end of the illumination effect can be set in advance to an arbitrary steady value desired by the user by adjusting the light source luminance setting device. Therefore, it has the effect that it does not leave a sense of incongruity after the production is finished (that is, it does not give the user a sense of incongruity after the production is finished), and is useful for a vehicle instrument or the like having a novel production function by illumination. .

It is a circuit block diagram of each embodiment of the meter for vehicles concerning the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the basic operation | movement of each embodiment of the vehicle meter which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the illumination production | presentation operation | movement in 1st Embodiment of the instrument for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of an example of the interruption process in the illumination effect operation | movement of each embodiment of the vehicle meter which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of another example of the interruption process in the illumination performance operation | movement of each embodiment of the vehicle meter which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the illumination production operation | movement in 2nd Embodiment of the meter for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of an example of a meter for vehicles. It is XX arrow sectional drawing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

M1: Fuel gauge (display unit)
M2: Water temperature gauge (display unit)
M3: Speedometer (display unit)
M4: Tachometer (display unit)
M5: Shift indicator (display unit)
8: LED (light source)
10: CPU (control device)
13: Ignition switch 15: Rheostat (light source brightness setting device)

Claims (2)

A display unit;
A light source for illuminating the display unit;
A control device that performs lighting effects by controlling the luminance of the light source unsteadily;
A vehicular instrument comprising:
A light source luminance setting device for setting the luminance of the light source at the end of the lighting effect to an arbitrary steady value;
The control device is
The lighting effect is started by using a predetermined operation signal during non-running as a trigger, and the luminance value of the light source is gradually increased or decreased from a predetermined value at the time of the lighting effect, and the light source luminance is at the end of the effect. Control to set value by setting device,
A vehicle instrument characterized by that. A display unit;
A light source for illuminating the display unit;
A control device that performs lighting effects by controlling the luminance of the light source unsteadily;
A vehicular instrument comprising:
A light source luminance setting device for setting the luminance of the light source at the end of the lighting effect to an arbitrary steady value;
The control device is
The lighting effect is started using a predetermined operation signal when not running as a trigger, and the luminance value of the light source is periodically increased or decreased during the lighting effect, and the value set by the light source luminance setting device at the end of the effect. To be controlled,
A vehicle instrument characterized by that.

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