GB2363770A

GB2363770A - Arrangement of equipment for a motor vehicle designed to assist and/or enhance driving

Info

Publication number: GB2363770A
Application number: GB0125903A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Didier Barat; Andrew Nash
Original assignee: Plastic Omnium Valeo Interiors SNC
Current assignee: Plastic Omnium Valeo Interiors SNC
Priority date: 1999-04-28
Filing date: 2000-04-28
Publication date: 2002-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-28
Also published as: AU4410400A; DE10084540T1; GB2363770B; GB0125903D0; WO2000066399A1; FR2792887A1; FR2792887B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement of equipment for a motor vehicle, which is designed to assist and/or enhance driving and comprises at least the following: a plurality of equipment elements (1) whereby the number and/or nature of part of said elements varies according to the level of equipment inside the motor vehicle as it leaves the factory and according to the choice of the purchaser means (17) whose composition can be configured according to the level of equipment in the motor vehicle as it leaves the factory and according to the choice of the purchaser, whereby said configurable means comprises at least means (14) which can process the operating instructions of said elements (1); fixed means (16) whereby the composition thereof cannot be varied irrespective of the level of equipment inside said vehicle as it leaves the factory and irrespective of the choice of the purchaser, whereby said fixed means comprises at least interface means (15) for the transmission of operating instructions at least between the user and said elements (1) and said means functions under the control of said processing means (14). The invention also relates to a dashboard fitted with said equipment.

Description

2363770 TITLE: Arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is

intended to assist with driving and/or make it more pleasant.

The invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle which is especially intended to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, as well as to a dashboard equipped with such an arrangement.

In the field of motor-vehicle construction, equipment is demanded nowadays in amounts and in types which can be adjusted to the wishes of the users.

Nevertheless, in order to limit the costs of manufacture, production has to continue to be rationalised, by reducing the fitting operations and especially by avoiding increasing the number of components which are different from one vehicle version to another.

As regards dashboards, a first rationalisation solution is to provide a front face with a single composition featuring displays and/or control knobs, at predetermined locations, which are used or not used depending on the equipment fit of the vehicle.

This solution is not satisfactory, however This is because, for vehicles with a small amount of equipment, the purchaser is presented with displays or display areas which are perpetually inactive and with blocked-off buttons which contribute to revealing the fact that his vehicle is not from the top of the range.

Moreover, with such a solution, the cost of the bottom-of-the-range vehicles is penalised by the fact that the dashboard is pre-fitted for top-of-the-range equipment, since this part is identical from one vehicle to the other; for example, in the dashboards met with nowadays, it is known to provide one or more reserved spaces for accommodating optional equipment, especially such as a car radio, a cassette or compact- disc player, a navigation system or other systems.

Furthermore, although allowing a certain modularity, the dashboards feature redundant components since each of the pieces of equipment is equipped with its own stabilised power supply, with its own control system, and/or with its own display system The space available is therefore not optimised, and the number of pieces of equipment capable of being integrated remains limited because of the space reserved for each of these pieces of equipment.

Another difficulty which is encountered in the development of a dashboard stems from the fact that it more and more uses equipment based on electronic components and that, whereas the time for designing a new vehicle is more than two years, the renewing of electronic technologies is much more rapid.

Thus, a dashboard designed for a given vehicle incorporates elements the characteristics of which have already been overtaken although the first vehicle equipped with such a dashboard has not yet been built.

The object of the invention is to propose an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle which is intended, especially, to assist with driving or to make it more pleasant, which overcomes the abovementioned drawbacks and allows adaptation, to order, of the equipment fit of the vehicle while rationalising its production.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, the costs of manufacture of which are proportional to the position of the vehicle in the range.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, which makes it possible to avoid the visible presence of the control and display appendages of the elements of equipment which might possibly be part of the fit on another vehicle nearer the top of the range, with the same arrangement, but which are absent from the vehicle in question.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or make it more pleasant, which makes it possible to increase the number and the nature of the elements of equipment which can be used.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, which can be upgraded and included during the period of use, after purchase, of the vehicle and can therefore incorporate newly developed equipment elements, so as to be able to keep in step with technological upgrades.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a dashboard for a vehicle the ergonomics of which are respected and which does not risk distracting the driver.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will emerge in the course of the description which will follow, which is given only by way of indication and which is not for the purpose of limiting it.

The invention first of all relates to an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, including at least:

a number of equipment elements the number and/or the nature of which, at least in some cases, can vary on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, means the composition of which can be configured, on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, called configurable means, which consist at least of means for handling operating instructions for the said elements, means the composition of which is invariable regardless, on the one hand, of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of the choices by the purchaser, called fixed means, which consist at least of interface means for the transmission of the operating instructions at least between the user and the said elements, operating under the control of the said processing means.

The invention also relates to a dashboard equipped with such an arrangement.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, accompanied by the drawings in the annex which form an integral part of it, and among which:

Figure 1 describes the theoretical diagram of an example embodiment of the arrangement of apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with the invention, Figure 2, according to one example, illustrates the upgradable nature of the arrangement of apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 3 illustrates an example embodiment of the dashboard in accordance with the invention, Figures 4 a and 4 b illustrate two embodiment examples of one of the means of the invention, Figures 5 a and 5 b illustrate two variant embodiments along a median section of the dashboard illustrated in Figure 3.

The invention relates to an arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant.

As represented in Figure 1, it comprises at least a number of equipment elements 1 the number and/or the nature of at least some of which can vary, on one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser.

The said equipment elements permit, for example, communication between the vehicle and the outside world, the distribution of music or of images, assistance with navigation or other functions Hence there will especially be a radio tuner 2, an amplifier 3, a compact-disc player 4, a CD-ROM drive or digital video disk drive 5, an audio-cassette player 6 and/or a device 7 for changing the cassette or the disc loaded into the corresponding player.

There may also be, among other things, a voice- synthesis device 8, a voice-recognition device 9, a navigation device 10 and/or additional devices 11, 12, 13 with various functionalities, especially for radio reception, especially digital devices, telephones or other devices, satellite-positioning devices, modulation/demodulation devices for digital data transmission, and TV reception devices.

The said elements 1 thus comprise electronic components, for example, and are intended, especially, for the interior equipment of the vehicles.

The arrangement in accordance with the invention especially comprises means 14 for processing operating instructions for the said elements 1, as well as interface means 15 for transmitting operating instructions at least between the user and the said elements 1, operating under the control of the said processing means 14.

According to the invention, the said interface means 15 at least are means the composition of which is invariable regardless, on the one hand, of the equipment fit of the vehicle and regardless, on the other hand, of the choices made by the purchaser, called fixed means 16.

The said processing means 14 at least are means the composition of which can be configured, on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, called configurable means 17.

By "composition of the means" is understood the set of components which define the means in question, whether it is hardware components as well as, if appropriate, software components which are involved.

By "configurable" it is understood that the said components are, for example, of the same nature but of variable performance such as, for example, a microcontroller or a microprocessor associated with one or more memory units, the microcontroller or the microprocessor being chosen according to its operating frequency and the memory units or units according to their storage capacity, depending on the number and/or the nature of the equipment elements 1.

By virtue of these configurable processing means associated with fixed interface means, it is thus possible to rationalise production by limiting the number of components while preserving an open architecture allowing a larger or smaller number of equipment elements 1 to be taken into account It is thus easily possible to have the arrangement evolve with the technologies.

Hence, by virtue of the solution in accordance with the invention, it is possible to put together an arrangement of apparatus comprising at least the said plurality of equipment items ( 1), the said processing means ( 14) and the said interface means ( 15).

To do that, the equipment fit and/or the choices made by the user being given, at least the said processing means are configured on the basis of these criteria, the said interface means at least being, for their part, of invariable composition regardless of these same criteria.

That being so, the arrangement can be used in the context of the manufacture of a range of vehicles, that is to say of a single type of vehicles which is more or less well equipped.

The said fixed means 16 further comprise, if appropriate, means 18 for acquisition of operating instructions.

The said configurable means 1 further comprise, if appropriate, display means 19 at least for the operation of the said equipment elements 1, the complexity of which is matched to the equipment items present.

The said display means 19 especially make it possible to indicate, by an indicator which is active or otherwise, whether a said equipment element 1 is turned on or turned off, to view qualitative values, text, images or others.

The said processing means, the said interface means, the said acquisition means and/or the said display means are especially intended to be common for the said elements 1 and/or remote from them.

The said processing means 14 are intended to be able, as appropriate, to identify each of the said equipment elements 1 which are present and/or to manage a control menu for the operation, the said menu being drawn up on the basis of the equipment elements 1 identified.

This takes the form, for example, of a menu organised as a tree structure, one said equipment element corresponding to one line of the menu, any functionality features of one element then corresponding to a line of a sub-menu of the said line, and so on.

Moving from line to line on the menu makes it possible to take action on the equipment element 1 chosen in order to select a functionality which it is wished to see implemented The said menu may possibly go as far as allowing adjustment of values, step-by- step.

By way of example, one line of the said menu may especially correspond to the operation of the compact- disc player 4, one line of an associated sub-menu corresponding to the settings of the choice of the title, the said sub-menu then itself being subdivided into as many lines as there are possible choices of tracks Naturally, such a part of the menu is generated only if the presence of the compact-disc player 4 has been detected by the said processing means 14.

The said acquisition means 18 consist, for example, of a control panel 20, able to allow control of each of the equipment elements 1 identified, by use of the said menu.

Thus a single, multi-function control panel 20 is available, allowing control of all the equipment elements identified, this without having to provide control buttons which are unused in the event that such an item or such items 1 is or are absent.

The said control panel 20 especially comprises at least means 21 for activating the menu in order to select the equipment element 1 the operation of which it is desired to control, and for setting up of the said operation This takes the form, especially, of one or more buttons for selecting a line of the menu, for adjusting a value and/or for confirming the menu line selected or the adjustment made.

As illustrated, the said activation means 21 consist, by way of example, at least of a single button 22 for selecting a menu line, of two buttons for adjusting a value 23, one allowing an incrementation and the other a decrementation, and of a button 24 for confirmation of the menu line selected and/or of the adjustment made with the preceding buttons 22, 23.

Apart from any pictograms on the functions of selection, incrementation, decrementation, confirmation, the activation means 22 are devoid of any indication of the functions controlled, these being identified by the means for viewing the operation on the display means 19.

Short-cut buttons 25, making it possible to turn on one said equipment element 1 according to a given mode without having to run through the whole of the menu may possibly also be provided.

The said display means 19 consist, for example, of a screen 26, able to allow the viewing of the operation of each of the equipment elements identified, by use of the said menu It may also be one-off and multifunction It takes the form, especially, of a liquid-crystal screen.

- As illustrated in Figure 2, the said screen 26 is possibly subdivided into areas, each of the areas being dedicated to the viewing of the operation of one or more equipment elements 1, the area or areas corresponding to elements not identified being designed so as to be able to remain inactive The said areas are, for example, of variable geometry.

Thus, for a vehicle in which a given equipment element is not present, the absence of it is not revealed by an unused display It corresponds, in contrast, to an inactive screen area in the middle of the rest of the said screen, which remains particularly discreet.

The activation/deactivation of the usable or unusable screen areas may be obtained, especially, by the use of light-emitting diodes situated behind the screen, which are active or inactive in order to render visible whatever is represented in the screen part in question When a diode is not activated, the corresponding area then exhibits a screen background colour blending with the rest of the screen.

According to another embodiment, the information on the operation of the equipment elements 1 could appear on the screen 26 in the form of windows of variable sizes Depending on the presence or otherwise of a given equipment element 1, such or such a window will be present or absent, the shape and the size of the windows present being designed to be able to be adapted so as to occupy substantially the whole of the surface area of the said screen 26.

If Figure 1 is again referred to, it is observed that the said processing means 14 comprise, for example, a microcontroller and/or a microprocessor 26, and/or one or more memory units 28 some of which could be flash memories.

- The said interface means 15 consist especially of a data-distribution unit 29 and/or of a data- conversion unit 30, allowing the circulation of information on the operation of the equipment elements 1, on the basis of the instructions from the microcontroller or microprocessor 27.

On this subject, according to another embodiment, the said processing means 14 might not consist exclusively of a single microcontroller or microprocessor 27, but all or some of these processing means could be distributed, especially within the said equipment element means 1.

As already set out above, the said processing means and/or the said display means are configured on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle.

For a basic equipment fit, that is to say, for example, for a list of equipment including a radio tuner 2, an amplifier 3 and an audio-cassette player 6, as well as a voice-synthesis device 8, it would be possible to use a 32-bit microcontroller and a 2 Megabyte memory unit As for the screen 26, it will be, partially at the very least, of the liquid-crystal segment type.

In this case, the screen 26, in addition to the liquid-crystal, segment-type display 26 a, includes lamps which are lit when the operation of the equipment items 1 requires it.

These lamps are formed by light sources illuminating, by transparency, pictograms formed on a translucent medium covered by a layer, masking these pictograms in the absence of light, and exhibiting an aesthetic appearance, in a way which is known in itself.

Some of these lamps, called "function lamps", associated with functions such as the audio system or - the air conditioning, are associated with the display 26 a and/or with other "sub-function" lamps.

According to the particular example illustrated in Figures 4 a and 4 b:

a lamp 57 is lit when one of the pieces of audio equipment is in service, lamps 56 (CD), 55 (cassette), 54 (CD loader) indicating the type of equipment used By default, if these three previous lamps 56, 55, 54 are out, it is the radio which is operating, a lamp 51 illustrates the setting of the sound level A variable-frequency flashing makes it possible to give an indication on the adjustment level, lamps 52, 53 indicate the base/treble settings, a lamp 50 indicates the balance setting of the various channels of the loudspeaker 37.

In the same way, a lamp 58 indicates that the air-conditioning compressor is in operation, lamps 59, 60, 61 indicating the various accesses to the setting of the air conditioner.

Lamps 65, 64, 63, 62 correspond to various functions of the on-board computer.

In each case, the display 26 a can relay the indications from these lamps, via numerical, alpha- numerical or graphic indications, for example bar type.

Certain lamps may remain displayed continuously so as to indicate to the driver the state of certain basic functions, such as the air conditioning.

Referring to Figure 4 b, it is observed that lamps 160 are permanently lit, so as to create a marker for the adjusting lamps of the air conditioning, provided with sub-functions 59, 60 which are themselves left permanently lit.

- According to the particular example illustrated in this same figure, the lamps marked 57, 58, 65 themselves also have the same role as in Figure 4 a A lamp 158 moreover indicates the entry for possible adjustment of the air conditioning, a lamp 167 indicates access to the telephone and/or a lamp 165 indicates the entry to a personalised menu.

For a superior equipment fit, that is to say for a list of equipment elements 1 including, among other things, in addition to those already mentioned, a compact-disc 4 or CD-ROM 150 drive, a device for changing the said discs 7, a voice-recognition device 9, a navigation device 10 and/or various units 151-152 allowing communication with the outside, it would especially be possible to use a microprocessor with a frequency of 50 Megahertz and a memory unit of 4 Megabytes As for the screen 26, it will especially be of the matrix, window type, the various windows being produced graphically.

An equipment fit with a microprocessor of 100 Megahertz and a memory unit of 16 Megabytes may even be envisaged Its screen will then, for example, be of the pixel type like that in 26 b (Figure 2) The equipment elements 1 in question could, in addition to those already quoted, be advanced equipment elements 31 such as interfaces for microcomputers, digital video disc players 5 or other items.

It will be noted that the various screens 26, 26 a, 26 b which feature display means which are of different technologies:

26, dot matrix with monochrome pixels, back- lit in areas, 26 a, liquid-crystal segment type, associated with the lamps 50-65, 26 b, TFT type, for example, - are installed in a housing of identical dimensions, so that the dashboard 33 in which they are mounted can itself be identical.

Figure 2 illustrates, in graph form, the evolution of such a configuration, the equipment fit Ex being illustrated on the x-axis, in increasing order.

Naturally, other configurations, particularly able to take account of evolutions in technology, could be envisaged.

Referring again to Figure 1, it is observed that the said acquisition means 18 are connected, for example, to the said interface means 15 and the said display means 19 to the said processing means 14 As far as the said display means 19 are concerned, they could equally well be connected directly to the said interface means 15.

The said equipment elements 1 are especially grouped together on digital data-communications networks 32, 33, which are connected to the said processing means 14 by way of the said interface means 15.

The said fixed means 16 further comprise, as appropriate, means 34 for powering the arrangement, which are linked to an electrical energy source 35, possibly constituting the vehicle battery, the said power-supply means 34 being intended to be common for the said equipment elements 1, the said processing means 14 and the said interface means 15, at least.

The integration of the said power-supply means 34 within the fixed means 16 thus makes it possible to make use of a common power supply for the whole of the arrangement and, particularly, for the set of different equipment elements 1 It will be noted that the elements 1 therefore here comprise, for example, only the equipment fit necessary for operation, it being - understood that, on the one hand, their power supply is provided by the power-supply means 36 and, on the other hand, their control is exercised by the processing means 14 Taking into account, furthermore, that the instructions and the viewing are provided for by means 18 and 19 respectively, it is realised that the equipment 1 can be acquired at the minimum cost.

The said power-supply means 34 consist, for example, of at least one stabilised power supply 36.

The said interface means 15, the said processing means 14, the said acquisition means 18, the said display means 19 as well as the said equipment elements 1 are designed to be able to be supplied with power by the said stabilised power supply 36, some of them possibly by way of others.

On this subject, the link or links 45 between the said processing means 14, the said interface means 15, the said acquisition means 18, the said display means 19 and/or the said equipment elements 1 consist of two power cables and/or of a digital information- communications cable, possibly assembled on the same medium, especially flat and/or flexible.

The said fixed means 16 possibly further comprise certain equipment elements 1, intended to be common to all the vehicles equipped These may, for example, be the radio tuner 4, the amplifier 3 or others.

Loudspeakers 37 and/or an antenna 38 could possibly also be connected, respectively, to the said amplifier 3 and/or to the said radio tuner 2.

As illustrated, according to one particular embodiment, it can also be envisaged connecting an instrumentation unit 39 and/or a control device under the steering wheel 40 to the said fixed means 16 in - order to allow data to be exchanged and/or power to be supplied to them.

As illustrated in Figures 3, 5 a, 5 b, the invention also relates to a dashboard 41 equipped with an arrangement as described above.

In the said dashboard, the said arrangement is provided, at least partly, for example, in the area of a central console 42.

The said central console 42 especially features the said processing means 14 and/or interface means 15, as well as, as appropriate, the said acquisition means 18 and/or display means 19.

The said central console 42 could furthermore be equipped with housings 43 to accommodate all or some of the said equipment elements 1 The said housings 43 are possibly designed to be able to be covered over with a hatch They can thus be disguised when it is not wished to reveal the presence of the said equipment elements 1 or to conceal their absence.

In this latter case, they could also be used as storage compartments.

As illustrated, certain equipment elements 1 could, for example, be provided at a distance from the said central console 42 They are then connected especially by conductors on a flexible medium such as those described above They are accessible through a flap (not represented), so as to add, replace or dispense with elements 1.

Likewise, the said acquisition means 18 and, more particularly, the said control panel 20 could, alternatively, be provided in the region of the control device under the steering wheel 40.

Furthermore, the said central console 42 may feature vents 44 of an air-conditioning circuit.

- Figures 5 a and 5 b show two variants of the dashboard of Figure 3 in section It is seen (Figure a) that the control panel 20, the interface means 15, the display 26 and the processing means 14 are mounted in the same housing 46, the link between the interface means 14 and the control means 15 being implemented by a set of conductors 45, for example a flexible printed circuit In Figure 5 b, this housing 46 is split into two parts 46 a, 46 b so as to satisfy a requirement for style and/or ergonomics The link 45 especially constitutes an adapter element between the fixed means and the configurable means, for example between the processing 14 and display means 19, on the one hand, and the interface 15 and control 20 means, on the other hand.

Naturally, other embodiments, within the scope of the person skilled in the art, could have been envisaged without in any way departing from the context of the invention.

-

Claims

1 Arrangement of apparatus for a motor vehicle, which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, including at least:

a number of equipment elements ( 1) the number and/or the nature of which, at least in some cases, can vary on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, means ( 17) the composition of which can be configured, on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, called configurable means, which consist at least of means ( 14) for handling operating instructions for the said elements ( 1), means ( 16) the composition of which is invariable regardless, on the one hand, of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of the choices by the purchaser, called fixed means, which consist at least of interface means ( 15) for the transmission of the operating instructions at least between the user and the said elements ( 1), operating under the control of the said processing means ( 14).

2 Arrangement according to Claim 1, in which the said fixed means ( 16) further comprise means ( 18) for acquisition of operating instructions.

3 Arrangement according to Claim 1, in which the said configurable means ( 17) further comprise means ( 19) for display at least of the operation of the said equipment elements ( 1).

4 Arrangement according to Claim 2, in which the said processing means ( 14) are designed to be able to identify each of the said equipment elements ( 1) REPLACEMENT PAGE - present and/or to manage a menu for control of their operation, the said menu being drawn up on the basis of the equipment elements identified.

Arrangement according to Claim 4, in which the said acquisition means ( 18) consist of a control panel ( 20), able to allow the control of each of the equipment elements identified, by use of the said menu.

6 Arrangement according to Claim 5, in which the said control panel ( 20) comprises at least means ( 21) for activation of the said menu for the selection of the equipment elements the operation of which it is wished to control and for the setting-up of the said operation.

7 Arrangement according to Claim 6, in which the said activation means ( 21) consist at least of a single selection button ( 22) for one line of the menu, of two buttons ( 23) for adjusting a value and of a button ( 24) for confirmation of the menu line selected and/or of the adjustment made with the preceding button or buttons.

8 Arrangement according to Claim 4, in which the said display means ( 19) consist of a screen ( 26), able to allow the viewing of the operation of each of the equipment elements identified, by use of the said menu.

9 Arrangement according to Claim 8, in which the said screen ( 26) consists of a segment-type liquid- crystal display ( 26 a) and of lamps ( 50-65).

Arrangement according to Claim 8, in which the said screen ( 26) is subdivided into areas, each of the areas being dedicated to the visual display of the operation of one or more equipment elements, the area or areas corresponding to elements not identified being designed to be able to remain inactive.

REPLACEMENT PAGE - 11 Arrangement according to Claim 10, in which the said screen areas ( 26) are designed to be of variable geometry.

12 Arrangement according to Claim 1, in which the said fixed means ( 16) further comprise power-supply means ( 34) for the arrangement, which are linked to an electrical-energy source ( 35), possibly constituting the battery of the vehicle, the said power-supply means ( 34) being designed to be common for the said equipment elements ( 1), the said processing means ( 14) and the said interface means ( 15), at least.

13 Arrangement according to Claim 10, in which the said power-supply means ( 34) consist of at least one stabilised power supply ( 36).

14 Arrangement according to Claim 1, in which the said fixed means ( 16) further comprise certain equipment elements ( 1), which are intended to be common to all the vehicles equipped.

Dashboard equipped with an arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims.

16 Dashboard according to Claim 15, in which the said arrangement is provided, at least in part, in the region of a central console ( 42) of the said dashboard.

17 Dashboard according to Claim 16, in which the said console ( 42) features the said processing and interface means, the said display means and the said acquisition means as well as housings ( 43) for accommodating all or some of the said equipment elements ( 1), which are able to be closed off by a hatch.

18 Dashboard according to Claim 16, in which the console ( 42) includes an electrical-link element ( 45) between, on the one hand, the processing ( 14) and display ( 19) means and the control ( 20) and interface ( 15) means, on the other hand.

REPLACEMENT PAGE - 19 Dashboard according to Claim 17, comprising a housing which is of the same dimensions regardless of the technology of the display means.

Method of manufacturing a range of vehicles, each vehicle, designed to be more or less well equipped, comprising an arrangement of apparatus which is intended, especially, to assist with driving and/or to make it more pleasant, comprising at least:

a plurality of equipment elements ( 1), means ( 14) for processing operating instructions for the said elements ( 1, interface means ( 15) for the transmission of the operating instructions at least between the user and the said elements ( 1), operating under the control of the said processing means ( 14), in which method:

the number and/or the nature of the said equipment elements is made to vary, at least in the case of some of them, on the one hand on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, the composition at least of the said processing means is configured, on the one hand, on the basis of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, on the basis of the choices made by the purchaser, the composition at least of the said interface means is kept invariable, regardless, on the one hand, of the equipment fit of the vehicle and, on the other hand, of the choices made by the purchaser.

REPLACEMENT PAGE