Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Display elements arranged in matrix
Reexamination Certificate
1995-05-22
2001-08-21
Nguyen, Chanh (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural physical display element control system
Display elements arranged in matrix
C340S815640
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278424
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is generally that of indicators, and more specifically, to an improved miniature telltale module.
Most automotive instrument clusters contain fifteen to twenty-five warning or information indicators (telltales). Packaging these functions as part of an instrument cluster design inhibits the flexibility of the design and creates complexity throughout the assembly.
The instrument cluster housing typically provides the support for the telltale bulbs. The housing also incorporates complex structures to eliminate light leakage (or crosstalk) from adjacent telltales or into the instrument graphics areas.
Telltale bulbs are commonly powered through a flexible circuit which is placed on the back of the instrument case. The size and complexity of the flexible circuit required in each instrument is highly dependent on the telltale arrangement. Flexible circuits, therefore, add cost to the telltale function and increase the number of electrical connections thus decreasing the system reliability.
Current production instrument clusters contain a light bulb and socket for each telltale function. Material and assembly costs to install, test and inspect these bulbs accumulates into a significant portion of the instrument cluster cost because so many are needed. Incandescent bulb life and reliability continues to be an important factor even though bulb and socket design improvements have been made.
Prior Art:
Several types of devices are known which have attempted to solve the problems stated above. By combining several telltale indications or messages into one unit, Pomerantz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,701) and Reck (U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,450) both taught the use of a D.C. Motor to rotate a message carrying drum using gears. Mechanical switches were incorporated to stop the motor at the required locations and a lamp was lighted to display the message or image. Both of these devices are complex electro-mechanical assemblies containing many parts, some of which are required to be precise (i.e. gears). This forces the cost of these devices to be high and thus they have not been used extensively.
Fales (U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,814) teaches a simpler method of actuating a message carrying drum but like Pomerantz and Reck the assembly is large and therefore consumes too much space and thus is difficult to package within the instrument cluster. Also, the drum construction creates a large inertial load on the actuator thus requiring the Fales actuator to be heavily damped (with viscous fluid) to eliminate overshoot and ringing. This presents a response problem similar to the D.C. motor actuation and adds the need for the emergency indicator and it's required control logic. The extended period of time that the actuators are driven also increases the power consumption of the unit. In fact, Fales powers the actuator and the lamp all the time that a fault condition is signaled.
The cost and design flexibility problems of current approaches coupled with the fact that the prior art has not provided acceptable solutions calls for a new concept.
The present invention provides this new concept by disclosing a miniature telltale module that has the capability of containing a large number of images or messages. Further, this module is designed to be low cost and provides a variety of packaging options to enhance flexibility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an image display arrangement or apparatus that includes a simple, reliable, multi-positional image indicator.
Generally speaking, the present invention comprises a novel miniature rotary actuator or drive, a series of interconnected images or indications and a single light source. The magnetic design of the miniature actuator allows wide tolerances at the inputs while still precisely selecting the image position.
The actuator also has a unique locking device (or brake) which automatically engages when power is removed. This feature allows the control circuitry to select an image with a momentary pulse and then remove the power from the actuator. Power consumption is thereby minimized since no power is required by the actuator except when changing the image to be displayed.
A series of images or indications are carried on a continuous loop of transparent film and are guided between the light source (LED) and a simple projector lens.
The small size of the miniature telltale module allows instrument cluster designers to easily incorporate many telltales into instrument cluster designs while maintaining simple construction.
More specifically, the present invention is an image display apparatus having a substrate that acts as a base having an integrated circuit and electrical connections. A driver is mounted on the substrate and electrically connected to the integrated circuit. The driver includes a controllable rotatably positionable drive providing a plurality of drive rotational positions in response to electrical signal inputs. The image display apparatus further includes an image disc having at least one radially disposed indication on the disc. The image disc is driven by the driver for rotational movement to the plurality of drive rotational positions. The image display apparatus also includes a light source electrically connected to the integrated circuit for illuminating the indication upon juxtaposition with the light source via rotational positioning of the image disc and illumination of the light source.
In one embodiment of the invention, the light source is a directional light source and the image display apparatus includes a light absorbing shield having a light opening. The shield is connected to the substrate about the light source and the light opening is positioned and sized relative to the light source and the image disc to provide illumination of the indication, absorption of light not directed through the light opening, and control of the angle of light emitted from the opening.
In another embodiment of the invention, the light source is a diffusing light source and the image display apparatus includes a light box positioned about the light source. The light box includes a light opening to allow light to illuminate the indication. The light box contains light within the box and allows light to be reflected within the box.
Preferably, the image display apparatus of the present invention further includes an attachment hub for mounting the image disc to the drive. The hub and image disc provide a locking mechanism for attaching or locking the image disc to the hub in a snap-fit arrangement.
In one arrangement, the image disc is constructed of a transparent light transmitting material and the indication is formed by a light blocking application on the image disc.
In another arrangement, the image disc is constructed of a metallic material and the indication is formed in the image disc by cutting or chemical etching.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel miniature telltale module which optimizes cost, packaging, control, power consumption and reliability.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel telltale module that is low in cost.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel small package size to allow design flexibility within the instrument cluster.
It is a further object of the invention to provide simple control inputs to accurately select the required image which allows the module to be interfaced to sensor outputs with low cost circuitry.
It is another object of the invention to provide a device having low power consumption which is desirable to minimize heat dissipation within the cluster.
Another object of the invention is to provide a miniature telltale module which only illuminates the image or indication to be displayed and does not interfere with light used to illuminate the areas surrounding the image disc.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel locking mechanism for locking the image disc to the driver or actuator.
It is another object of the invention to use chemical etching techniques to etc
Ayres John A.
Salmon Michael E.
Clark Hill PLC
Nguyen Chanh
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