52results about "Indicator components" patented technology

An illumination device for a display instrument is described which is used to illuminate two sets of scale markings and to separately illuminate a pointer scale of the display instrument. The light from a light source is guided past light funnels that are used to illuminate the pointer scale by an optical waveguide. This provides an efficient and economical means of illuminating a display instrument of this type.

An integrated display including a plurality of analog gauges concentrically arranged about a common center. Each analog gauge includes a pointer indicating a value of a parameter represented by the analog gauge. The integrated display is optionally semi-transparent and superimposed over a background view in a computer game, simulation, or other software application. The pointer and analog gauge may move relative to each other, or one may be fixed at an easily recognizable location while the other moves to indicate a current value of a parameter. This display can also be used on an electronic device to indicate a plurality of independent parameters in a minimal space.

An actuated gauge pointer that includes a shape memory alloy element configured to move the gauge pointer when activated is provided. The actuated gauge pointer includes a first shape memory alloy element disposed within the perimeter of the gauge pointer housing. Additionally, the actuated gauge pointer may include a second shape memory alloy element to provide temperature compensation, and a bias member to return the gauge pointer to an initial condition.

An illumination device for a display instrument is described which is used to illuminate two sets of scale markings and to separately illuminate a pointer scale of the display instrument. The light from a light source is guided past light funnels that are used to illuminate the pointer scale by an optical waveguide. This provides an efficient and economical means of illuminating a display instrument of this type.

An integrated display including a plurality of analog gauges concentrically arranged about a common center. Each analog gauge includes a pointer indicating a value of a parameter represented by the analog gauge. The integrated display is optionally semi-transparent and superimposed over a background view in a computer game, simulation, or other software application. The pointer and analog gauge may move relative to each other, or one may be fixed at an easily recognizable location while the other moves to indicate a current value of a parameter. This display can also be used on an electronic device to indicate a plurality of independent parameters in a minimal space.

A stepper motor driving apparatus, includes a stepper motor; a driven member interlocked with a rotation of a rotor of the stepper motor, a stopper stopping the driven member in a zero position, a controller controlling the excitation state of an excitation coil of the stepper motor, an induced voltage waveform detector detecting an induced voltage waveform generated on the basis of change of magnetic flux in accordance with the rotation of the rotor, and a zero position detector detecting whether the driven member is stopped in the zero position. The zero position detector includes a comparator which compares a time T2 in which each induced voltage waveform exceeds a predetermined threshold value with a predetermined contact determining reference time Tref, and a determinant which determines whether the driven member is stopped in the zero position by the stopper based on a result of the comparison by the comparator.

A stepper motor driving apparatus, includes a stepper motor; a driven member interlocked with a rotation of a rotor of the stepper motor, a stopper stopping the driven member in a zero position, a controller controlling the excitation state of an excitation coil of the stepper motor, an induced voltage waveform detector detecting an induced voltage waveform generated on the basis of change of magnetic flux in accordance with the rotation of the rotor, and a zero position detector detecting whether the driven member is stopped in the zero position. The zero position detector includes a comparator which compares a time T2 in which each induced voltage waveform exceeds a predetermined threshold value with a predetermined contact determining reference time Tref, and a determinant which determines whether the driven member is stopped in the zero position by the stopper based on a result of the comparison by the comparator.

An indicating instrument for a vehicle includes a step motor including a field winding, a pointer, a stopper device for stopping the pointer, which is rotating in a zero-reset direction, at a stopper position, a detecting device for detecting induced voltage of the field winding at each of detecting points, a control device for performing zero-reset control, whereby a drive signal is controlled to rotate the pointer in the zero-reset direction. In a state of abnormal detection in which the induced voltage larger than a predetermined set value is detected at a zero point; and the induced voltage equal to or smaller than the set value is detected at a next detecting point to the zero point, the control device assumes synchronization loss of the step motor and continues the zero-reset control until an assumptive electrical angle corresponding to a rotational position of the pointer reaches the zero point.

To provide an indicator apparatus in which a pointer is secured to a pointer drive means by attraction force of magnets and it is possible to prevent an overshoot and pulsation of the pointer with sufficient attraction force. The indicator apparatus has a display plate 21, a pointer 22 provided on a front-face side of the display plate 21, and a pointer drive means provided on a back-face side of the display plate 21 for rotating the pointer 22. The indicator apparatus includes first magnet 22c in a ring shape provided for the pointer 22 and a second magnet 23a provided for the pointer drive means to be opposite to the first magnet 22c, and the pointer 22 is rotated in association with rotation drive of the pointer drive means by attraction force of the first and second magnets 22c, 23a. A yoke 22d in a ring shape is located closer to a surface of the first magnet 22c that is not opposite to the second magnet 23a.

A variety of PC card interfaces to interface from many different types of input devices to Personal Digital Assistants or palmtop computers through PCMCIA slots. The disclosed interfaces can receive data in undecoded format from laser based, wand based or CCD based barcode scanning engines, decode the data to alphanumeric characters and pass the decoded data to the PDA via the PCMCIA 68 pin bus. Other PC card based interfaces are also disclosed which can accept input data in the form of ASCII or EBCDIC characters from virtually any type of input device which a standard serial or parallel output or custom output bus and input that data to the PDA through the PCMCIA bus. Some embodiments use programmed general purpose microprocessors to decode undecoded barcode scan data on the PC card. Other embodiments use custom-programmed, commercially available barcode decoding chips to decode incoming undecoded barcode scan data. Some embodiments of PC card interfaces sample undecoded barcode scan signals and pass the samples to the host through the PCMCIA bus for decoding by a suitably programmed host computer.

A drive device includes stepper motors, each having an excitation coil and a rotor rotating based on variation in the excitation state of the excitation coil; driven members, each moving in accordance with the rotation of the rotor of the corresponding stepper motor; stoppers, each stopping the driven member mechanically at a zero position; and a controller, controlling the respective stepper motors so as to selectively performs either a normal operation in which the stepper motor is driven so as to rotate, or a zero-position detection operation in which the stepper motor is driven so that the driven member is moved to the stopper. The controller starts to perform the zero-position detection operation simultaneously in all of the stepper motors and changes the stepper motor which has terminated the zero-position detection operation to the normal operation without waiting for the termination of the zero-position detection operation in other stepper motors.

According to a method for initializing an indicating instrument for a vehicle, zero-reset processing is performed. In the zero-reset processing, a control device is made to control a drive signal to rotate a pointer in a zero-reset direction in order to force a step motor to lose synchronization. Furthermore, synchronization loss detection processing is performed. In the detection processing, a physical phenomenon generated in a rotary drive system due to forcible synchronization loss of the motor during the zero-reset processing, is detected. Then, an electrical angle of the drive signal at a time of detection of the phenomenon is selected as a synchronization loss electrical angle. Finally, zero point setting processing is performed. In the setting processing, the electrical angle phase-shifted from the synchronization loss electrical angle in an indication value increasing direction by 180 degrees or less, is set as a zero point stored in the control device.

To provide an indicator apparatus in which a pointer is secured to a pointer drive means by attraction force of magnets and the pointer can be secured more tightly to prevent an overshoot and pulsation of the pointer. The indicator apparatus has a display plate 21, a pointer 22 provided on a front-face side of the display plate 21, a pointer drive means provided on a back-face side of the display plate 21 for rotating the pointer 22, a first magnet 22c in a ring shape provided for the pointer 22, and a second magnet 25a provided for the pointer drive means to be opposite to the first magnet 22c, in which the pointer 22 is rotated in association with rotation drive of the pointer drive means by attraction force of the first and second magnets 22c, 25a. A shaft portion 23 rotatably supporting the pointer 22 is located in the display plate 21. The shaft portion 23 includes a main shaft23a, a main-shaft receive portion 23b securing the main shaft 23a to the display plate 21, and a rotation shaft portion 23c provided rotatably about the main shaft 23a and located on and secured to the pointer 22.

A gauge of a vehicle instrument cluster includes a gauge defining a dial. A pointer is rotatably mounted in the instrument cluster and movable to a plurality of positions relative to the dial. A first scale of numbers is arranged sequentially around the dial and corresponds to a first range of vehicle speed. A second scale of numbers is arranged sequentially around the dial and corresponds to a second range of vehicle speed. The second scale of numbers corresponds to vehicle speeds that are faster than the first range of vehicle speeds and have like units. The first scale and the second scale of numbers are arranged in a radially offset relationship.

A method and device for detecting an initial excitation phase of a stepping motor is provided, by which an initial excitation phase of a rotor corresponding to a position of a stopper can be detected with a unit of a stepping angle of a microstep drive which is smaller than that of a full step drive without using elements such as magnetoelectric elements. Upon appropriately changing an excitation phase of a stepping motor, on the basis of a generated pattern of an induced electromotive force in an exciting coil in a non-excitation state upon a full step drive, whether or not a pointer comes in contact with a stopper to stop a reverse rotation of the pointer and rotor is judged so that it is specified on which excitation phase the pointer and rotor are reversed, thereby detecting an initial excitation phase of the rotor corresponding to a position of the stopper.

An output port open control device (65) allows a port (P3) which outputs PWM signals of a Cos+ side to be in a high impedance state in a period in which respective PWM signals of Cos+ and Cos− supplied to a S-phase coil (22) of a stepping motor (2) are in a ground level, induced voltage corresponding to a magnetic flux variation caused in accordance with rotation of a magnet rotor (23) is generated in the S-phase coil (22), a voltage comparator (72) compares the induced voltage with a previously set threshold value and outputs presence or absence of the induced voltage, and a zero-reset judging device (66) determines that a pointer (4) is in the middle of rotation when the induced voltage is detected, and determines that the pointer (4) is in contact with a stopper mechanism (5) when it is not detected.

The present invention provides a driving unit for an analog meter. The size of the driving unit is modified into a column shape, so that the first tape and second tape of the stator unit can be placed in double layers, guiding more pins of the input terminal from the same side. The driving unit can simplify the manufacturing process, and the size of the components of the driving unit are greatly reduced, making assembly more flexible or emptying more space for other components. The more concentrated pin can be connected easily or can be provided with more options for connection.

A drive device includes stepper motors, each having an excitation coil and a rotor rotating based on variation in the excitation state of the excitation coil; driven members, each moving in accordance with the rotation of the rotor of the corresponding stepper motor; stoppers, each stopping the driven member mechanically at a zero position; and a controller, controlling the respective stepper motors so as to selectively performs either a normal operation in which the stepper motor is driven so as to rotate, or a zero-position detection operation in which the stepper motor is driven so that the driven member is moved to the stopper. The controller starts to perform the zero-position detection operation simultaneously in all of the stepper motors and changes the stepper motor which has terminated the zero-position detection operation to the normal operation without waiting for the termination of the zero-position detection operation in other stepper motors.

A method and device for detecting an initial excitation phase of a stepping motor is provided, by which an initial excitation phase of a rotor corresponding to a position of a stopper can be detected with a unit of a stepping angle of a microstep drive which is smaller than that of a full step drive without using elements such as magnetoelectric elements. Upon appropriately changing an excitation phase of a stepping motor, on the basis of a generated pattern of an induced electromotive force in an exciting coil in a non-excitation state upon a full step drive, whether or not a pointer comes in contact with a stopper to stop a reverse rotation of the pointer and rotor is judged so that it is specified on which excitation phase the pointer and rotor are reversed, thereby detecting an initial excitation phase of the rotor corresponding to a position of the stopper.

An indicating instrument is provided in which a pointer is secured to pointer drive means by attraction force of magnets and the magnetic influence of the magnets can be reduced to improve the indication accuracy of the pointer. The indicating instrument has a display plate 21, a pointer 22 provided on the front-face side of the display plate 21, and pointer drive means provided on the back-face side of the display plate 21 for rotating the pointer 22. The indicating instrument includes a first magnet 22c of ring shape provided in the pointer 22, a second magnet 23a provided in the pointer drive means such that the second magnet 23a is opposite to the first magnet 22c, a rotation drive member 24 included in the pointer drive means and rotating the second magnet 23a, and a magnetic shield member 29 provided between the second magnet 23a and the rotation drive member 24, wherein the pointer 22 is rotated in association with rotation drive of the pointer drive means by attraction force of the first and second magnets 22c, 23a.

A motor and lighting system and method for mounting the motor and lighting system to the instrument cluster are disclosed, wherein the motor and lighting system includes a light source disposed on a rear side of a printed circuit board, the light source in electrical communication with a source of electrical energy and a motor having an aperture formed therein and disposed on the rear side of the printed circuit board, light emitted from the light source passing through the aperture of the motor.

The object of the invention is to provide a stepper motor apparatus and a method for controlling a stepper motor, and particularly relates to a stepper motor apparatus for driving a pointer and a method for controlling the stepper motor. When an ignition switch is turned on, CPU 12 starts to feed a driving signal into the stepper motor in order to cause the stepper motor to rotate in a backward direction. Upon detecting that a protrusion 9 is in abutment with a stopper 10 on the basis of induced voltage generated on excitation coils 5 and 6, CPU stop rotation of the stepper motor 3 by maintaining the driving signal's phase at which the abutment is detected. Subsequently, CPU 12 feeds the driving signal into the stepper motor 3 in order to drive the stepper motor 3 to rotate in a direction where the protrusion 9 is driven against the stopper 10, and then stops rotation of the stepper motor 3 in a forward direction by maintaining a predetermined phase at which the driving signal arrives. Thereafter, CPU 12 drives the stepper motor to rotate such that a pointer 1 homes in on its commanded position θi.