GB2351052A - A panel indicator/warning signal display for a motor vehicle instrument panel - Google Patents

A panel indicator/warning signal display for a motor vehicle instrument panel Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2351052A
GB2351052A GB0010541A GB0010541A GB2351052A GB 2351052 A GB2351052 A GB 2351052A GB 0010541 A GB0010541 A GB 0010541A GB 0010541 A GB0010541 A GB 0010541A GB 2351052 A GB2351052 A GB 2351052A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
display
indicator
light emitting
emitting diodes
panel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0010541A
Other versions
GB0010541D0 (en
GB2351052B (en
Inventor
Thomas Lee Jones
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ford Motor Co
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Ford Motor Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ford Motor Co filed Critical Ford Motor Co
Publication of GB0010541D0 publication Critical patent/GB0010541D0/en
Publication of GB2351052A publication Critical patent/GB2351052A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2351052B publication Critical patent/GB2351052B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60QARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q3/00Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
    • B60Q3/10Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors for dashboards
    • B60Q3/16Circuits; Control arrangements
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60KARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K35/00Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
    • B60K35/20Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
    • B60K35/21Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays
    • B60K35/22Display screens
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60KARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K35/00Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
    • B60K35/20Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
    • B60K35/28Output arrangements, i.e. from vehicle to user, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor 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
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60KARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
    • B60K35/00Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
    • B60K35/60Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Instrument Panels (AREA)
  • Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
  • Indicating Measured Values (AREA)

Abstract

An indicator and warning signal display (12) for a motor vehicle instrument panel (10) comprises a plurality of organic polymer light emitting diodes (LED's) (16) arranged in a pattern to form a display field (F) and selectively energisable to display indicator and/or warning messages within the display field (F). Multiple colour polymer LED's (16) may be arranged in such a manner that the display field (F) can display different colours for different indicator or warning messages.

Description

2351052 PANEL INDICATOR/WARNING SIGNAL DISPLAY The present invention
relates to indicator and warning signal devices for use on motor vehicles and, more particularly, to a consolidated indicator/warning signal display for an instrument panel of a motor vehicle.
Motor vehicles have used indicator and warning lights on a vehicle instrument panel to inform a driver of an operating condition or setting of the vehicle and to warn the driver of a condition or malfunction, such as low oil level, low battery power, etc., requiring attention. In the past, separate instrument panel indicator and warning lights have been selectively energised to light in a continuous manner to inform or warn the driver. Recently, liquid crystal displays and vacuum fluorescent displays have been used to provide indicator and warning signals to the driver. These displays consume rather large areas of the instrument panel and are capable of displaying only one colour variation during any given moment or event. 20 An object of the present invention is to provide an improved, compact indicator and warning signal display for use on the instrument panel of a motor vehicle. The present invention provides a motor vehicle instrument panel with an indicator and warning signal display comprising a plurality of polymer light emitting diodes (LED's) arranged as pixels in a pattern within a display field and selectively energisable to display indicator and/or warning messages within the display field. In effect, the individual polymer LED's constitute a plurality of pixels of the display field. The pixels of the display can comprise a single polymer LED or multiple clustered polymer LED's of different colours.
In an embodiment of the invention, polymer LED's having different colours can be formed in respective patterns intermixed in the display field in a manner that different indicator and/or warning messages can be displayed in different colours. For example only, different messages can be displayed in red, green, amber, or blue colour at the same or different times. The polymer LED's can be energised in intermittent on/off manner to provide a flashing message to the driver.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure I is an elevational view of a vehicle instrument panel indicator/warning signal display in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 1A is an enlarged view of the individual polymer LED's forming pixels of the display of Figure 1; Figures 1B, 1C and 1D are elevational views showing different indicator and warning messages that can be displayed within the display field of Figure 1 by selective energisation of the polymer LED's; Figure 2A is an elevational view of a vehicle instrument panel indicator/warning signal display in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; Figures 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, and 2G are elevational views showing different indicator and warning messages that can be displayed in different colours within the display field of Figure 2A by selective energization of the different colour polymer LED's;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of an instrument panel of a motor vehicle having the indicator and warning signal display of the present invention thereon; and Figure 4 is an elevational view of a pixel of an indicator and warning signal display pursuant to another embodiment of the invention wherein each pixel comprises multiple, clustered polymer LED's of different colour.
The present invention provides an indicator and warning signal display 12 on an instrument panel 10, Figure 3, of a motor vehicle to inform the vehicle driver of an operating condition or setting of the vehicle and/or to warn the driver of a condition or malfunction, such as low oil level, low battery power, etc., requiring attention. A speedometer 14, which can be an analogue or digital type of speedometer, provides vehicle speed information to the driver. The indicator and warning signal display 12 can display messages indicating status (e.g. on or off) of a cruise control setting, a parking brake setting, a high headlight beam, overdrive setting, seatbelt setting, engine oil level, battery power level, and other commonly used indicator and/or warning messages provided to a vehicle driver during operation of modern motor vehicles.
Referring to Figures 1 and 1A, the instrument panel display 12 comprises a plurality of polymer LED dots 16 shown arranged in a matrix pattern of columns and rows in a display field F of rectangular shape for purposes of illustration only. In effect, the individual polymer LED dots constitute pixels of the display field F. In this embodiment, the polymer LED dots can comprise the same colour (e.g. red, amber, or green) to impart a monochromatic colour to the display field when all of the LED dots are energised. Flat emissive polymer LED displays useful in practice of the invention are available from Philips Components, PolyLED's, Jan Camperstraat 5, 6416 SG Heerlen, The Netherlands. Such displays are available having a display thickness of approximately 4 millimetres and polymer LED dots 16 having a dot square shape and a dot size of 250 microns by 250 microns with a gap or space of 50 microns between the square dots to provide a pitch of 300 microns, although the invention can be practised using other dot shapes and sizes. In the Figures, the polymer LED dot shape is illustrated as circular merely for purposes of drawing convenience in illustrating the dot matrix pattern of rows and columns. The polymer LED dots are formed in the pattern of rows and columns shown in Figure 1A on a transparent substrate and have electrodes (one electrode typically transparent and one electrode metallic) associated therewith to apply an electric field across the polymer LED dots to effect emission of light from the polymer LED material. As mentioned, such polymer LED displays are available from 4 Philips Components, PolyLED's, Jan Camperstraat 5, 6416 SG Heerlen, The Netherlands.
The number of LED dots 16 in each column and in each row of display field F are selected to display the desired operating condition or setting of the vehicle and/or to warn the driver of a condition or malfunction, such as low oil level, low battery power, etc., requiring attention. Although the display field is illustrated as being rectangular in shape, the invention is not so limited since the display field can be provided with any desired shape to suit a particular motor vehicle instrument panel layout and design.
The polymer LED dots 16 are selectively energisable to display indicator and/or warning messages within the display is field F at different times. For example, Figure 1B illustrates a "CHECK ENGINE" written message displayed in display field F when a possible engine malfunction exists. Figure 1C illustrates a symbolic battery message displayed in the same display field when a battery low power level or recharging malfunction exists. Figure 1D illustrates a parking brake written and symbolic message (e.g. a "BRAKE" written message and international symbols comprising "!" and a "P" indicative that the parking brake is engaged) displayed in the same display field when the motor vehicle parking brake is actuated. The above messages would be displayed at different times in the display field F as necessary to inform or warn the driver of the vehicle. The display 12 is advantageous in that the multiple messages, such as the multiple parking messages and symbols, of Figure
1D, can be provided in the same display field F for selective use in different countries according to local language and usage.
The polymer LED dots are selectively energisable by a conventional microprocessor CPU and a multi-plex driver DR located on a printed circuit board PCB. Electrical lead wires W, copper traces (not shown), and/or other electrical interconnects can be used to connect the microprocessor CPU, the multi-plex driver DR, and the polymer LED dots 16 of the display field F as necessary to display indicator and warning messages. The microprocessor CPU sets the display hierarchy based on microprocessor programming and input signals from vehicle systems. The microprocessor CPU and a multi-plex driver DR are interfaced by data, clock, enabler, and strobe lines 1, 2, 3, 4 in conventional manner employed, for example, to drive liquid crystal displays and vacuum fluorescent displays. The multi-plex driver DR converts information from the microprocessor CPU to inputs to the rows and columns of the polymer LED dots 16 to display particular messages in response to inputs from vehicle systems that monitor the vehicle cruise control, parking brake, headlights, oil level, battery, and other vehicle components and provide signals indicative of their status. The polymer LED dots 16 are operable using 3-5 volts DC and 5-10 milliamperes so as to advantageously exhibit low power consumption. The microprocessor CPU may be programmed to intermittently energise one or more the messages to cause the message to be displayed in flashing manner to catch the attention of the vehicle driver.
Figures 2A through 2G illustrate a vehicle instrument panel indicator and warning signal display 12' pursuant to another embodiment of the invention having display field F' comprised of a plurality of different colour individual polymer LED dots 16' forming pixells of the display field. For example, polymer LED's of respective red, amber, green and blue colours are intermixed to form an aggregate or composite pattern P in the display field F', Figure 2A, with each colour of LED dot being formed in its own message pattern Pl, P2, P3, P4A, P4B, P4C forming respective messages discussed below at the same or different times as needed to inform and/or warn the driver. For example, red polymer LED dots can be arranged in a message pattern P1 to display, when energised, the messages of Figure 2B with respect to parking brake status, battery status, and/or seatbelt status. Blue polymer LED dots can be arranged in a 6 different message pattern P2 to display the headlight high beam status symbol of Figure 2C when energised. Amber polymer LED dots can be arranged in a message pattern P3 to display the SERVICE ENGINE SOON written message of Figure 2D when energised. Green polymer LED dots can be arranged in a pattern to display the CRUISE CONTROL status message of a subpattern P4A of Figure 2E, the overdrive O/D OFF status message of a subpattern P4B of Figure 2F, or the turn signal indicator direction status message of a subpattern P4C of Figure 2G when selectively energised to this end. The polymer LED's of different colour can be selectively energised in the manner described above using microprocessor CPU and multi-plex driver DR. The messages and symbols illustrated in Figures 2A through 2G are offered only for purposes of illustration since there are numerous other potential warning and indicator messages and symbols which may be displayed to the vehicle driver.
In the embodiments described above, the display 12 (12') is described as comprising a plurality of polymer LED dots 16 (16') arranged in a pattern to display messages with each polymer LED dot forming a pixel of the display field F. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, each pixel or dot of the display 12 (121) can comprise multiple clustered polymer LED's of different colours as illustrated in Figure
4. For example, in Figure 4, such an individual pixel or dot 16 is shown as comprising a clustered arrangement of a red polymer LED dot 16a, a green polymer LED dot 16b, a blue polymer LED dot 16c, and an amber polymer LED dot 16d. A plurality of such pixels can be arranged in a matrix pattern of rows and columns as described above with the different colour polymer LED's energised in a manner to display different messages in different colours at different times or at the same time.
The indicator and warning signal display 12 (12') is mounted in a mechanical mounting frame 20 that, in turn, is mounted on printed circuit board PCB, the frame and/or printed circuit board PCB being mounted using conventional 7 display mounting techniques on the instrument panel 10 of the motor vehicle to inform the vehicle driver of an operating condition or setting of the vehicle and/or to warn the driver of a condition or malfunction requiring attention. As mentioned conventional circuit components such as lead wires W, copper traces (not shown) on the printed circuit board PCB, and/or electrical interconnects can be used to connect the display 12 (12'), the microprocessor CPU, and the multi-plex driver DR. Conventional interconnects now used for liquid crystal displays and vacuum fluorescent displays can be used to this end.
The present invention provides a vehicle instrument panel having an indicator and warning signal display that is compact in size and that can display different indicator and/or warning messages at the same or different times in different colours in a display field. The displays described above are advantageous in that they have relatively low electrical power consumption, high resolution, high contrast, and wide viewing angle, all of which are desirable in a visual indicator and warning display for a vehicle instrument panel.
- 8

Claims (11)

1. A motor vehicle instrument panel having a speedometer (14) and an indicator and warning signal display 5 (12) comprising a plurality of polymer light emitting diodes (16) arranged in a pattern in a display field (F) and selectively energisable to display multiple indicator or warning messages in said display field (F).
2. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said polymer light emitting diodes comprise different colours arranged in patterns in the display field in a manner that different indicator or warning messages can be displayed in different colours.
3. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein each polymer light emitting diode forms a pixel of said display.
4. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple polymer light emitting diodes of different colours are clustered to form a pixel of said display.
5. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light emitting diodes are intermittently energisable to display at least one indicator or warning message in flashing manner.
6. A motor vehicle instrument panel having a speedometer and an indicator and warning signal display comprising a plurality of polymer light emitting diodes of different colours arranged in respective patterns intermixed in a common display field such that different indicator or warning messages can be displayed in different colours.
7. A panel as claimed in claim 6, wherein one colour pattern displays a message and another colour pattern displays a different message.
8. A method of providing indicator and warning messages to a driver of a motor vehicle having an instrument panel, comprising providing a plurality of polymer light emitting diodes in a pattern in a display field and selectively energising the polymer light emitting diodes in a manner to display multiple indicator and warning messages in said display field.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, including providing a plurality of polymer light emitting diodes of different colours in patterns in a common display field and selectively energising polymer light emitting diodes of a common colour in a manner to display different indicator or warning messages in different colours.
10. A motor vehicle instrument panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. A method of producing indicator and warning messages to a drive of a motor vehicle having an instrument panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB0010541A 1999-05-04 2000-05-03 Panel indicator/warning signal display Expired - Fee Related GB2351052B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US30440999A 1999-05-04 1999-05-04

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GB0010541D0 GB0010541D0 (en) 2000-06-21
GB2351052A true GB2351052A (en) 2000-12-20
GB2351052B GB2351052B (en) 2003-03-05

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DE (1) DE10018336A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2351052B (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003057523A1 (en) * 2002-01-04 2003-07-17 Johnson Controls Technology Company Instrument cluster
GB2405755A (en) * 2003-09-04 2005-03-09 Shaukat Consultants Ltd Vehicle rear lamp comprising OLED panel
US20100277299A1 (en) * 2007-10-19 2010-11-04 Christophe Dolle Instrument panel and method for displaying a first symbol and a second symbol
RU2443026C2 (en) * 2008-10-31 2012-02-20 Андрей Николаевич Ирецкий Visual display unit

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITMI20030318U1 (en) * 2003-07-09 2005-01-10 Ecie Electric Components And Instru Ments Europ S DEVICE FOR VISUALIZATION OF THE MEASUREMENT OF GREAT SIZES PARTICULARLY FOR DASHBOARDS OF VEHICLES AND THE LIKE.
DE102005019621B4 (en) * 2005-04-26 2013-05-23 Johnson Controls Automotive Electronics Gmbh Display device for a motor vehicle and use of an arrangement of light-emitting components
DE102007016366B4 (en) * 2007-01-02 2015-08-20 Johnson Controls Automotive Electronics Gmbh Display device, in particular for a motor vehicle
DE102015101740A1 (en) * 2015-02-06 2016-08-11 Dr. Schneider Kunststoffwerke Gmbh Control console in a motor vehicle
DE102015222839A1 (en) 2015-11-19 2017-05-24 Robert Bosch Gmbh Method and apparatus for adjusting a brightness of a display on a screen and display device

Citations (3)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2040532A (en) * 1979-01-19 1980-08-28 Vdo Schindling A Device for Displaying Time- dependent Operation Parameters of a Motor Vehicle
GB2278320A (en) * 1993-05-28 1994-11-30 Daimler Benz Ag Vehicle risk-of-collision warning has display area which changes shape and colour
US5825338A (en) * 1991-05-09 1998-10-20 Atoma International Corp. Instrument display method and system for passenger vehicle

Family Cites Families (1)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2151380A (en) * 1983-12-14 1985-07-17 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Vehicle message terminal

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2040532A (en) * 1979-01-19 1980-08-28 Vdo Schindling A Device for Displaying Time- dependent Operation Parameters of a Motor Vehicle
US5825338A (en) * 1991-05-09 1998-10-20 Atoma International Corp. Instrument display method and system for passenger vehicle
GB2278320A (en) * 1993-05-28 1994-11-30 Daimler Benz Ag Vehicle risk-of-collision warning has display area which changes shape and colour

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003057523A1 (en) * 2002-01-04 2003-07-17 Johnson Controls Technology Company Instrument cluster
GB2405755A (en) * 2003-09-04 2005-03-09 Shaukat Consultants Ltd Vehicle rear lamp comprising OLED panel
GB2405755A9 (en) * 2003-09-04 2005-04-13 Shaukat Consultants Ltd Vehicle rear lamp comprising OLED panel
GB2405755B (en) * 2003-09-04 2006-07-05 Shaukat Consultants Ltd Lamps for a road vehicle
US20100277299A1 (en) * 2007-10-19 2010-11-04 Christophe Dolle Instrument panel and method for displaying a first symbol and a second symbol
US9013291B2 (en) * 2007-10-19 2015-04-21 Christophe Dolle Instrument panel and method for displaying a first symbol and a second symbol
RU2443026C2 (en) * 2008-10-31 2012-02-20 Андрей Николаевич Ирецкий Visual display unit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE10018336A1 (en) 2000-11-30
GB0010541D0 (en) 2000-06-21
GB2351052B (en) 2003-03-05

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20040503