Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2003-04-01
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C116S288000, C116S02800A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06542133
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is in the field of vehicle instrument panel displays.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Muscle or shape memory wires are known for use in various applications. The wires are made from a shape memory or bio-metallic material such as a nickel-titanium alloy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,779 discloses an animated novelty button incorporating a muscle wire for selectively disclosing a hidden message. U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,820 discloses a muscle wire mechanism for ejecting a tape or disk from a storage house. A co-pending application assigned to the same owner as this application uses a contracting wire to change the position of a pointer on an instrument panel gauge, such as fuel, voltage, and temperature gauges.
The wires are often called “muscle wire” because they flex or shorten in length like muscle fibers when electrical current is passed through them. The wires contract quickly and silently. When power is shut off, the wires relax and cool, and return to their original length. A typical muscle wire is commercially available under the name “Flexinol”. The specifications for different types of muscle wire vary, depending on the application, as to voltage, current, resistance, power, mass, wire length in relaxed and contracted conditions, and wire force.
Vehicle instrument panel displays typically comprise one-for-one LED/message window arrangements in which all possible messages displayed to the vehicle operator are single-purpose displays, each with an individual LED backlight, a reflector, and a translucent color-coded message window. The use of multiple LED backlights and message windows increases cost and takes up valuable space on the instrument panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention is a muscle wire activated display mechanism for a vehicle instrument panel, in which an array of muscle wires is connected to an array of independently-activated message “plates” movable into and out of a single LED-backlighted display port. Depending on the signal that a signal-generating device such as a vehicle microprocessor determines should be sent to the vehicle operator, the appropriate message plate (ABS, seatbelt, low oil, etc.) is moved by the appropriate muscle wire through a mechanical range of motion into the display port, whereupon a backlight (preferably a multi-colored “RGB” type LED) lights a translucent message portion of the plate to give a visual indicator to the driver. Cost and the amount of instrument panel space taken up by displays are both reduced.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon further reading of the specification in light of the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5138779 (1992-08-01), Earnest
patent: 5442338 (1995-08-01), Ayres et al.
patent: 5453731 (1995-09-01), Beyer
patent: 5831820 (1998-11-01), Huang
patent: 6244889 (2001-06-01), James
Kelman Zinoviy
Taborisskiy Yuriy
Bella Matthew C.
Nguyen Hau
Yazaki North America, Inc.
Young & Basile P.C.
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