Communications: electrical – Visual indication – Multiple colors
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-27
2002-07-09
Trieu, Van (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Visual indication
Multiple colors
C340S815450, C340S815550, C349S106000, C362S027000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06417779
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a transilluminable display panel and an illuminating device, arranged on the rear side of the display panel averted from an observer, for transilluminating the display panel.
Such a display is known and is used, in particular, in motor vehicles for visualizing warning signals or operating states of the most varied devices. In this case, a dedicated, separate display panel is provided for displaying a warning function or monitoring function, respectively. In order to avoid leakage of light between the individual display panels, which impairs the readability of the display, each warning field or monitoring field has a dedicated light source with a focusing hood, which prevents the abovementioned leakage of light. The use of aids such as, for example, an antiskid system, occupant airbags, traction control, which has risen considerably in the case of modern motor vehicles, in particular, has necessitated a correspondingly high number of monitoring panels. This has rendered necessary both a large area requirement for the display and a high structural outlay on its illumination.
Moreover, it is known to undertake visualization of warnings and indications by means of active, freely drivable display panels, or via projection mechanisms. Such devices are of complicated design, require a substantial installation space and have a comparatively high weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to provide a remedy here, it is the object of the invention to create a display having a transilluminable display panel, which offers a large range of information and also means of detection and good readability in conjunction with a simple and compact design with few components.
According to the invention, this object is achieved, on the one hand, by virtue of the fact that the illuminating device can emit light of a first and/or a second wavelength region, and in that the light of the first wavelength region can essentially pass through only a first region of the display panel, and the light of the second wavelength region can essentially pass through only a second region of the display panel which differs at least partially from the first region of the display panel. In this case, a slight residual transmission of light in a region through which it cannot pass can, if appropriate, be permissible in order to keep the production cost of the display low.
By contrast with the display known from the prior art, a plurality of warning functions or monitoring functions can be represented in a simple way in a single display panel with the aid of the invention. In this case, different items of information can be represented, for example, in the form of characters and/or symbols for the different regions of the display panel. Moreover, the production and the design of the display according to the invention is substantially simplified, since it requires a smaller number of focusing hoods and light guides by comparison with the known displays. The weight of the display is therefore simultaneously reduced. An optimum utilization of space and a maximum reduction in weight play a large role in motor vehicles, above all, with the result that the display according to the invention can be used here with particular advantage. At the same time, the invention substantially increases the ease with which the instruments can be surveyed and read off and thus—by distracting the vehicle driver less—the traffic safety.
The display can be read particularly well and has a high contrast when, advantageously, the display panel has a region which essentially blocks both passage of light of the first wavelength region and passage of light of the second wavelength region. In this case, complete blockage offers the highest contrast; however, a slight residual transmission can be provided in the blocked region, without lessening the advantages of the invention.
Virtually any sort of information can be represented alone or in combination with one another in accordance with a further advantageous development of the invention when the display panel has a region through which both light of the first wavelength region and light of the second wavelength region can pass. If information is visualized with the aid of arbitrary characters and/or symbols, it is also possible in the abovementioned, simple way for the characters and/or symbols which can be displayed to overlap.
The above-named object is also achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the illuminating device can emit light of a first and/or a second light source, that a light filter is arranged between the illuminating device and the display field, and that the light of the first wavelength region can pass essentially only through a first region of the light filter, and the light of the second wavelength region can pass essentially only through a second region of the light filter differing at least partially from the first region of the light filter. If appropriate, it is also possible in this case to permit a slight residual transmission of light through a region through which it cannot pass, in order to keep the production cost of the display low.
This display according to the invention has advantages, corresponding to the first invention, of a simple, weight saving design, requiring few components, of a display which simultaneously offers a wide range of information in conjunction with a small display area. Moreover, in the case of the second display according to the invention, it is possible to display information in different colors in mutually separated regions of the display panel, without the need to use partitions between light sources of different color for illuminating the display panel. In this case, the different color regions can be established only as a function of the configuration of the light filter. If a variation in the provision of the color regions is to be undertaken, there is no need—as there is with earlier displays—for repositioning partitions, which means high tooling costs, but only a need to use a modified light filter.
In accordance with an advantageous development of the invention, the light filter is a color filter pane, as a result of which a particularly compact display is obtained and a simple exchange of the light filter, and its cost-effective production are ensured.
A particularly uniform illumination of the display panel is achieved when the light filter is a scatter filter. In this case, the light filter can have uniform scattering properties over its entire light-transmitting surface, or the diffusion can be matched to the desired illumination of regions of the display panel.
A particularly contrasting display results when, in accordance with another development of the invention, the light filter has a region which essentially blocks both passage of light of the first wavelength region and passage of light of the second wavelength region. It can be permissible in this case, if appropriate, for the blocking region to permit a low residual transmission of light, for example for the purpose of generating a colored display background.
If, in accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, the light filter has a region through which both light of the first wavelength region and light of the second wavelength region can pass, the multiplicity of the display can thereby be further increased by permitting mutually overlapping representations of information.
It is conceivable that the wavelength regions in the displays according to the invention overlap considerably, with the result that in the case of a display of the different items of information in a display panel the further information is indicated, in addition to the one item represented primarily, in the background, for example with the aid of lesser light transmission. It is possible in this way to display functions which are available to an operator as an alternative to the selection made. For example, in the case of a display for a radio
Janssen Hermann
Noll Heinrich
Farber Martin A.
Mannesmann VDO AG
Trieu Van
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