JP5228515B2 - Instrument drive - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drive device for a plurality of instruments such as a tachometer, an intake pressure gauge and an exhaust thermometer provided separately from a vehicle combination meter.

  Conventional meters include a speedometer, tachometer, thermometer, and fuel meter as well as an existing combination meter housed in a case body, and an after meter that can be attached to a dashboard, instrument panel (instrument panel), etc. An instrument called is known. As this after meter, for example, a single analog display unit is housed in a case, and there is a meter or a light emitting display for displaying single vehicle information (for example, engine speed) of the vehicle. There are instruments that digitally display. Such an instrument is often mounted on a racing vehicle running on a circuit racetrack or the like, a supercharger, a turbo-equipped vehicle, or the like. These types of instruments include a tachometer that monitors the engine speed, an intake pressure gauge (boost meter) that monitors the boost pressure of the engine, an exhaust thermometer that monitors the exhaust gas exhaust temperature, and the engine oil temperature. An oil temperature gauge that monitors the pressure of engine oil or an engine oil pressure.

Further, the applicant of the present application has proposed a meter driving device disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a driving device for an aftermeter that is assumed to be arranged in plural. The instrument driving apparatus proposed in Patent Document 1 includes an input port that enables input of a plurality of state signals according to vehicle information, and a single control for obtaining each measurement data according to the plurality of state signals A unit is provided to communicate between the control unit and each instrument by serial data generated by the control unit, simplifying the installation work even when a plurality of instruments are provided, and Each instrument can be attached without deteriorating the beauty of the dashboard and the instrument panel.
JP-A-10-183523

  In addition, the aftermeter and its driving device are provided with various functions such as a warning function that causes the display unit of each meter to perform a notification operation when the measurement data is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or less than a predetermined value. However, when the above functions are set for each instrument by the control unit, the user cannot instantaneously determine which instrument is being set and there is room for further improvement. .

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention further improves the after-meter driving device in which a plurality of instruments are assumed to be arranged, and a user performs a setting operation when setting a function for each instrument. It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument driving device capable of instantaneously determining the measured instrument.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is an instrument driving device having a function that can be set for each of a plurality of instruments arranged, and the function setting operation is performed when the function setting operation is performed. A control unit that transmits target type data indicating a type to each of the meters, and each of the meters compares the target type data received from the control unit with its own type data, and the setting operation of the function is performed The display brightness of the display unit is changed depending on whether or not it is self.

  Further, the control unit is provided separately from each instrument, inputs a plurality of state signals indicating vehicle information, obtains each measurement data of the vehicle information based on each state signal, and each measurement Data is converted into communication data, and when the setting operation of the function is performed, the target type data and setting data indicating the setting contents of the function are converted into communication data, and the communication data is converted into each of the instruments. Each of the instruments receives the communication data, controls the display unit according to the communication data, and stores the setting data.

  In addition, each of the instruments is characterized in that the display brightness is higher than that in the normal state when it is determined that the function setting operation has been performed by itself.

  Further, each of the instruments is characterized in that the display brightness is made lower than that in the normal state when it is determined that the function setting operation is not performed by itself.

  Further, the function is a warning function for causing the display unit to perform a notification operation when the measurement data is equal to or higher than a predetermined warning value or lower than the warning value.

  The present invention relates to a drive device for a plurality of instruments such as a tachometer, an intake pressure gauge, and an exhaust thermometer provided separately from a vehicle combination meter, and a user sets a function for each instrument. The operated instrument can be determined instantaneously, and the functionality as an aftermeter system can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The overall configuration of the instrument driving apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the instrument driving device includes a control unit (control unit) 1, a first analog meter (instrument) 2, a second analog meter (instrument) 3, and an operation switch 4. It is mainly composed.

  The control unit 1 is composed of a microcomputer, and an A / D conversion unit that inputs each state signal indicating vehicle information, a CPU that executes a predetermined processing operation program, a ROM that stores the processing operation program and the like, RAM that temporarily stores data processed by the CPU, parallel / serial conversion unit (P / S conversion unit) that converts parallel data into serial data, and EEPROM that stores various function settings in a nonvolatile manner And a storage unit composed of a backup RAM and the like, and a transmission unit for transmitting the serial data at a predetermined cycle. When the state signal indicating the vehicle information is input, the control unit 1 performs a predetermined calculation process according to the state signal and calculates each measurement data of the vehicle information. Further, in the normal operation mode, the control unit 1 converts the model code for identifying the model of the instrument and the parallel data as each measurement data into serial data (communication data), and passes through the wiring members 5a and 5b. To the control means described later of the first analog meter 2 and the second analog meter 3. The wiring member 5 a is a wiring member including a multiplex transmission communication line for transferring serial data from the control unit 1, one end connected to the control unit 1, and the other end connected to the control means of the first analog meter 2. . The wiring member 5b has the same configuration as the wiring member 5a, and one end is connected to the control means of the first analog meter 2 and the other end is connected to the control means of the second analog meter 3. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the serial data from the control unit 1 is transmitted in the order of the first analog meter 2 → the second analog meter 3.

  Further, the meter drive device has a warning function that causes the meters 2 and 3 to perform a notification operation when the measurement data is equal to or higher than a predetermined warning value or lower than the warning value. Note that whether the alarm operation is performed when the alarm value is equal to or greater than the warning value or whether the alarm operation is performed when the alarm value is equal to or less than the warning value is determined by the type of vehicle information displayed by each of the meters 2 and 3. The warning function can set the warning value for each of the meters 2 and 3 by performing a predetermined setting operation with the operation switch 4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first analog meter 2 is an analog meter in which a control means 2a and an analog display unit 2b are housed in a case body. The display unit 2b is provided with a notification unit 2b1 for performing light emission display as a notification operation in the warning function. The notification operation may be performed by voice.

  The control means 2a comprises a microcomputer, receives the serial data transmitted by the control unit 1, and causes the display unit 2b to perform a display operation or a notification operation based on the serial data. Further, the control means 2a transfers the serial data to the control means 3a of the second analog meter 3 through the wiring member 5b.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second analog meter 3 is an analog meter in which a control means 3a and an analog display unit 3b are housed in a case body. The display unit 3b is provided with a notification unit 3b1 for performing light emission display as a notification operation in the warning function.

  The control means 3a comprises a microcomputer, receives the serial data transmitted from the control unit 1 via the control means 2a of the first analog meter 2, and displays or displays the display unit 3b based on the serial data. It is what makes it work.

  The operation switch 4 includes, for example, a plurality of push button switches, and sets various functions of the control unit 1 or the first and second analog meters 2 and 3. In the present embodiment, the setting of the warning value for each of the instruments 2 and 3 in the warning function is executed particularly when the user operates the operation switch 4.

  The above-described units constitute a meter driving device.

  Next, a warning value setting process in the warning function will be described based on FIG.

  First, when the control unit 1 detects an input of the warning value setting operation by the operation switch 4, the control unit 1 is set as target model data (target type data) indicating a model (type) for which the warning value setting operation has been performed. Warning value data (setting data) indicating a warning value is converted into serial data together with the measurement data and transmitted to the first and second analog meters 2 and 3. When the control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 receive the serial data (step S1), the control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 The target model data included in the serial data received in S1 is compared with its own model data (type data) (step S2), and the warning value setting operation is performed by the comparison result. When it is determined that, the process proceeds to step S3. If it is determined in step S2 that the warning value setting operation has not been performed by itself, the process proceeds to step S4.

  In step S3, the control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 shift to the warning value setting mode and display the display units 2b and 3b based on the warning value data (that is, the above-described operation). The display brightness of the display units 2b and 3b is changed to a higher brightness than usual. The control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 store the warning value data in the storage unit.

  In step S4, the control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 maintain the normal operation mode and display the display units 2b and 3b based on the measurement data (that is, current measurement). The display units 2b and 3b are changed to a lower luminance than usual.

  The control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 execute the process of step S3 or step S4, respectively, thereby setting the warning value of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3. The display brightness of an instrument that has been operated is higher than the display brightness of an instrument that has not been set. In an analog type instrument, the display brightness may be changed by either the pointer and the display board constituting the display unit or only one of them.

  When the setting of the warning value is completed, the control means 2a and 3a of the first and second analog meters 2 and 3 thereafter compare the received measurement data with the stored warning value data, When it is determined that the measured value data belonging to the model is equal to or higher than the warning value or lower than the warning value, the notification units 2b1 and 3b1 are caused to emit light to perform a notification operation.

  The instrument driving apparatus according to the present embodiment uses such a process to use the instrument that has been set for the functions that can be set for each of the instruments 2 and 3 and the instrument that has not been set according to the difference in display brightness. This makes it possible for a person to make an instant determination and improve the functionality as an aftermeter system.

  In the present embodiment, the display brightness of the display unit for which the warning value setting operation has been performed among the respective meters 2 and 3 is made higher than normal, and the warning value setting operation is not performed. Although the processing for lowering the display brightness of the display unit than usual is executed, the present invention is an instrument in which the function setting operation is performed among the respective instruments 2 and 3, and an instrument in which the function setting operation is not performed. The display brightness of the instrument that has been set for the function is increased, or the display brightness of the instrument that is not set for the function is only decreased. An effect can be obtained.

  Further, the present invention is applicable as long as the function is set for each of a plurality of instruments, and this function is not limited to the warning function in the present embodiment, and the function for switching the display color for each instrument. Even so, it is applicable. Furthermore, the instrument is not limited to an analog meter, and may be a digital meter having a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL display panel, or the like.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the drive device of the meter of embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the instrument in the drive device of an instrument same as the above. The flowchart figure which shows the warning value setting process in the drive device of an instrument same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 Control unit (control unit)
2 First analog meter (instrument)
2a Control means 2b Display unit 2b1 Notification unit 3 Second analog meter (instrument)
3a Control means 3b Display unit 3b1 Notification unit 4 Operation switch

Claims (5)

An instrument driving device having a function that can be set for each of a plurality of instruments arranged,
When the function setting operation is performed, the control unit transmits target type data indicating the type of the function setting operation performed to each instrument,
Each meter compares the target type data received from the control unit with its own type data, and changes the display brightness of the display unit depending on whether or not the function setting operation has been performed by itself. An instrument driving device characterized by that. The control unit is provided separately from each instrument, inputs a plurality of status signals indicating vehicle information, obtains each measurement data of the vehicle information based on each status signal, and obtains each measurement data When the function setting operation is performed, the target type data and the setting data indicating the setting contents of the function are converted into communication data, and the communication data is transmitted to each instrument. And
The instrument driving device according to claim 1, wherein each of the instruments receives the communication data, controls the display unit according to the communication data, and stores the setting data. 2. The instrument driving device according to claim 1, wherein the display brightness of each instrument is higher than that in a normal state when it is determined that the function setting operation has been performed by itself. 2. The instrument driving device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the setting operation of the function is not performed by the instrument, the display brightness is lower than that in a normal state. 2. The instrument driving device according to claim 1, wherein the function is a warning function that causes the display unit to perform a notification operation when the measurement data is equal to or higher than a predetermined warning value or lower than the warning value.

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