Vehicle gear indicator lamp, control method, control unit and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a vehicle gear indicator light, a control method, a control unit and a vehicle, and relates to the technical field of vehicle indicator lights, the vehicle gear indicator light comprises a shell, a circuit module and a light shield, the circuit module and the light shield are installed in an installation cavity of the shell, and a plurality of light outlet holes are formed in the shell; the light emitting holes are respectively communicated with the mounting cavity and are distributed on the surface of the shell at intervals, the LED lamps on the circuit module are arranged corresponding to the light emitting holes, the light shield covers the circuit module, and light emitted by the LED lamps can penetrate through the light transmitting area and is emitted towards the light emitting holes. The area, outside the light-transmitting area, of the light shield can shield light rays, reduce scattering of the light rays, enable the light rays to be emitted out of the light-emitting hole in a more concentrated mode and replace a light guide structure, so that a light guide body does not need to be installed in the shell, the installation structure is simplified, assembling is easier and more convenient, the mold development cost is reduced, and the manufacturing cost is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle indicator lights, and in particular to a vehicle gear indicator light, a control method, a control unit and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the related art, the gear indicator light of a car uses multiple light guides to conduct the light emitted by LED lamp beads so that the light can illuminate the corresponding display characters. It is necessary to consider the installation structure of the light guide, and it is necessary to increase the corresponding number of molds according to the number of display characters. The mold cost and unit cost of the above design scheme are high, and it is not convenient to assemble the gear light, which reduces production efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a vehicle gear indicator light, which does not require a light guide, simplifies the installation structure of the lamp body, is easy to assemble, and can effectively reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0004] The present invention also provides a vehicle gear position display panel, a control method, a control unit and a vehicle using the above-mentioned vehicle gear position indicator light.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle gear indicator light comprises a shell, a circuit module and a light shield, the shell being provided with a mounting cavity and a plurality of light exit holes, the plurality of light exit holes being respectively connected with the mounting cavity and being distributed at intervals on the surface of the shell; the circuit module being connected to the shell and disposed in the mounting cavity, the circuit module being provided with a plurality of LED lamps, the plurality of LED lamps being arranged corresponding to the plurality of light exit holes; the light shield being disposed in the mounting cavity and covering a side of the circuit module facing the light exit holes, the light shield being provided with a light-transmitting area, and the light-transmitting area covering the plurality of LED lamps. The vehicle gear indicator light according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The embodiment of the present invention installs the circuit module and the light shield in the installation cavity of the shell, and arranges multiple light exit holes on the shell. The multiple light exit holes are respectively connected to the installation cavity and are spaced apart on the surface of the shell. The multiple LED lamps on the circuit module are arranged corresponding to the multiple light exit holes, and the light shield covers the circuit module. The light emitted by the multiple LED lamps can pass through the light-transmitting area and emit toward the light exit holes. The area outside the light-transmitting area on the light shield can block the light and reduce the scattering of light, so that the light can be emitted from the light exit holes more concentratedly. The light guide structure can be replaced. In this way, there is no need to install a light guide in the shell, which is beneficial to simplifying the overall installation structure of the vehicle gear indicator light, making assembly easier, reducing mold development costs, and effectively reducing production costs. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of channels are provided in the installation cavity, and the plurality of channels are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light exit holes. One end of the channel is connected to the light exit hole, and the other end is arranged toward the LED lamp. The light generated by the LED lamp can pass through the light-transmitting area and be emitted toward the light exit hole along the channel.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of LED lamps include a plurality of shift lamps and a plurality of backlight lamps, and along the axial direction of the channel, each channel is arranged opposite to one shift lamp and one backlight lamp.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of cylinders are provided in the installation cavity, the interior of each cylinder is constructed as the channel, the side of the cylinder away from the light exit hole abuts against the light shield, and the cylinder is connected to the shell and formed as one piece. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the shell includes a base portion and a raised portion, the raised portion is arranged on the upper end surface of the base portion, the cross-sectional dimension of the raised portion is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the base portion, the channel is at least partially formed on the inner side of the raised portion, a plurality of light exit holes are formed on the upper end surface of the raised portion, and the mounting cavity is formed on the inner side of the base portion.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer side wall of the raised portion is provided with a plurality of clips, the plurality of clips are arranged along the circumference of the raised portion, and the clips are used to connect with the vehicle gear position display panel. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the circuit module includes a circuit board, and the plurality of LED lights are arranged on the surface of the circuit board. The outer periphery of the light shield is provided with a border, which is arranged along the circumference of the circuit board and is sealed with the circuit board.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the sunshade is made of rubber, and the thickness of the sunshade ranges from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the housing is made of ABS engineering plastic.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle gear indicator light further includes a bottom cover, the bottom side of the shell is provided with an opening communicating with the installation cavity, and the bottom cover covers the opening to open or close the installation cavity. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle gear indicator light further includes a wiring harness connector, one end of which is fixed to the cover plate and electrically connected to the circuit module. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the circuit module includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the wiring harness connector, and the control unit is configured to receive a gear signal of the vehicle and control different LED lights to emit light according to the gear signal. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the vehicle gear display panel includes a panel body, a mounting position is provided on the back of the panel body, and the mounting position is used to install the vehicle gear indicator light described in the first aspect of the embodiment. The surface of the panel body is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting holes, and the plurality of light-transmitting holes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light-emitting holes.

[0011] The vehicle gear position display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The vehicle gear display panel installs the vehicle gear indicator light of the first aspect embodiment on the back of the panel body. The vehicle gear indicator light is fixed at the installation position, and the assembly is more convenient. The light emitted from the light outlet hole can pass through the light-transmitting hole, so that the corresponding light-transmitting holes can be illuminated according to the LED lights in different positions, and different gear marks can be displayed. Since there is no need to install a light guide in the vehicle gear indicator light, it is beneficial to simplify the overall installation structure of the gear indicator light, making assembly easier, reducing mold development costs, and effectively reducing production costs.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the mounting position is provided with a plurality of slots, the outer side wall of the shell is provided with a plurality of buckles, the plurality of buckles are arranged along the circumference of the shell, and the buckles are buckled with the slots to fix the vehicle gear indicator light to the back side of the panel body.

[0013] The control method of the vehicle gear indicator light according to the third aspect of the present invention is applied to the vehicle gear indicator light according to the first aspect of the present invention, the plurality of LED lights include a plurality of gear lights, and the control method includes: Receiving a gear signal of a vehicle, wherein the gear signal includes a first preset signal value; According to the first preset signal value and a first preset relationship table, the gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value is controlled to emit light, and the first preset relationship table is used to characterize the correspondence between different first preset signal values ​​and different gear position lamps.

[0014] The control method according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: When the gear signal of the vehicle is received, the first preset signal value contained in the gear signal is determined, and then the gear light corresponding to the first preset signal value is obtained according to the first preset signal value and the first preset relationship table, so as to control the corresponding gear light to light up according to the gear signal, so as to facilitate the driver to know the current gear position of the vehicle; since the vehicle gear indicator light does not need to be installed with a light guide, it is beneficial to simplify the overall installation structure of the vehicle gear indicator light, and the assembly is simpler, and the mold development cost is reduced, which effectively reduces the production cost and further enhances the product advantage.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of LED lamps further include a plurality of backlight lamps, and the control method further includes: When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is not received within a first preset time, all the gear position lights and the backlight are controlled to remain in an off state; When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is not received after a first preset time, all the backlights are controlled to be turned on; When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is received after a first preset time, the control is executed to illuminate the gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of LED lamps further include a plurality of backlight lamps, the gear signal further includes a second preset signal value, and the control method further includes: When the gear signal is received, a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value is determined according to the second preset signal value and a second preset relationship table, wherein the second preset relationship table is used to represent the correspondence between different second preset signal values ​​and different preset duty cycles; The backlight is driven to emit light according to a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value.

[0017] A control unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes: processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the control method of the vehicle gear indicator light described in the above-mentioned third aspect embodiment.

[0018] The vehicle according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention comprises the vehicle gear indicator light as described in the first embodiment, or the vehicle gear display panel as described in the second embodiment.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a front structural schematic diagram of a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the side structure of a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the AA direction; Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a vehicle gear position display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle BB direction; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the circuit principle of a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 A flow chart of a method for controlling a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.10 A control flow chart of a vehicle gear indicator light when the vehicle is powered on according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 The present invention is a flow chart of controlling the backlight in a vehicle gear indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure Number: Vehicle gear indicator light 10; Shell 100; light outlet 101; channel 102; base portion 110; mounting cavity 111; protrusion 120; buckle 121; cylinder 122; Circuit module 200; LED lamp 210; Light shield 300; light-transmitting area 310; Wiring harness connector 400; signal line 410; Bottom cover 500; Panel body 600 ; mounting position 610 ; flange 620 ; slot 621 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientation, such as orientation or positional relationship indicated as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means more than two. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0026] To this end, some embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle gear indicator light 10, which is applied to a vehicle, and specifically refers to Figures 1 to 7 The vehicle gear position indicator light 10 is shown for explanation.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a vehicle gear indicator light 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 100, a circuit module 200 and a light shield 300. A mounting cavity 111 is provided in the housing 100. A plurality of light exit holes 101 are provided on the surface of the housing 100. The plurality of light exit holes 101 are spaced apart and distributed on the upper end surface of the housing 100, and each light exit hole 101 is respectively connected to the mounting cavity 111. The circuit module 200 and the light shield 300 are arranged in the mounting cavity 111. A plurality of LED lamps 210 are provided on the upper end surface of the circuit module 200. The LED lamps 210 are arranged opposite to the light exit holes 101. The light shield 300 covers the upper end surface of the circuit module 200 and is located between the LED lamps 210 and the light exit holes 101. The light shield 300 is provided with a light-transmitting area 310. The light-transmitting area 310 covers the plurality of LED lamps 210. The light emitted by the LED lamps 210 can pass through the light-transmitting area 310 and be emitted toward the light exit holes 101.

[0028] It can be understood that a part of the structure of the light shield 300 is a light-transmitting area 310, which can be a transparent or semi-transparent structure that allows light to pass through, and another part of the structure of the light shield 300 is a non-light-transmitting area that prevents light from passing through, thereby playing a role of shielding. It can also be understood that on the light shield 300, the area outside the light-transmitting area 310 is a non-light-transmitting area. The light-transmitting area 310 can be a single area and can cover all LED lights 210.

[0029] In some embodiments, the light-transmitting area 310 includes a plurality of light-transmitting areas arranged at intervals, and the plurality of light-transmitting areas are arranged one-to-one with the plurality of LED lamps 210, and can isolate the light of adjacent LED lamps 210 to avoid mutual interference. For example, the light-transmitting area can be circular, square or other polygonal shapes. The specific size, shape, position and other parameters of the light-transmitting area 310 are selected according to the layout of the LED lamps 210, so that the light emitted by each LED lamp 210 can pass through the light-transmitting area 310 and be emitted from the light outlet 101.

[0030] In the related art, a light guide is installed in the housing 100, and the light guide can transmit the light emitted by the LED lamp 210 to the light outlet 101, and emit it outward through the light outlet 101, lighting up the gear display characters, thereby indicating the current gear position of the vehicle. The light guide is usually made of polycarbonate (PC) material or acrylic material. The light guide needs to be designed according to the inner cavity shape and size of the installation cavity 111, and a corresponding number of molds need to be added according to the number of gear display characters. The mold cost and unit cost are high, and it is not convenient to assemble the gear lamp, and the assembly efficiency is low.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present invention, since the light shield 300 covers the surface of the circuit module 200 and the light-transmitting area 310 is arranged corresponding to the LED lamp 210, the light emitted by the multiple LED lamps 210 can pass through the light-transmitting area 310 and be emitted to the light exit hole 101. At the same time, the non-light-transmitting area can block the light, reduce the scattering of the light, and enable the light to be emitted from the light exit hole 101 more concentratedly, so as to light up the gear display characters and replace the light guide. In this way, there is no need to install the light guide in the shell 100, which is conducive to simplifying the overall installation structure of the indicator light. There are fewer parts and components, and the assembly is easier. The overall volume can also be reduced, and the mold development cost is reduced, effectively reducing the production cost.

[0032] Reference Figure 2As shown, the circuit module 200 in the embodiment includes a circuit board, and multiple LEDs are arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board. The outer peripheral edge of the light shield 300 is provided with a peripheral edge, which is arranged along the circumference of the circuit board and is sealed with the circuit board. In the embodiment, the circuit board is rectangular and the peripheral edge is rectangular. The peripheral edge surrounds the four sides of the circuit board to form a sealing structure between the light shield 300 and the circuit board, which can effectively isolate external impurities such as water and dust, protect the circuit module 200, and increase the service life of the LED lamp 210.

[0033] In the embodiment, the light shield 300 is made of rubber material, so that the light shield 300 and the circuit board fit more closely and provide better sealing performance. Specifically, the light shield 300 is a rubber part as a whole, and the thickness of the rubber part ranges from 1.5mm to 2.5mm. When the thickness of the light shield 300 is less than 1.5mm, it means that the light shield 300 is too thin and the structural stability is poor; when the thickness of the light shield 300 is greater than 2.5mm, it means that the light shield 300 is too thick and is not conducive to assembly. In some embodiments, the thickness of the light shield 300 is preferably 2mm or 2.4mm.

[0034] It is understandable that the light-transmitting area 310 is formed of transparent rubber to meet the requirements of protection and light transmittance, that is, the light-transmitting area 310 of the sunshade 300 is made of transparent rubber material, and the non-light-transmitting area is made of opaque rubber material.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 As shown, in the embodiment, the vehicle gear indicator light 10 also includes a bottom cover 500, an opening is provided on the bottom side of the housing 100, the opening is communicated with the installation cavity 111, the bottom cover 500 covers the opening, the installation cavity 111 can be opened or closed by the bottom cover 500, the bottom cover 500 can be connected to the housing 100 by means of a buckle 121, the circuit module can be provided with a positioning hole, the circuit module is positioned and matched with the bottom cover 500 through the positioning hole, and is fixed with the bottom cover 500 by snapping, and the structure is stable and reliable. During assembly, the light shield 300 and the circuit module 200 are installed in the installation cavity 111, and then the bottom cover 500 is covered at the opening, and the circuit module 200 is limited by the bottom cover 500, so that the light shield 300 is pressed between the circuit module 200 and the light exit hole 101, and the structure is stable and reliable, with better sealing performance.

[0036] It should be noted that in the embodiment, the housing 100 and the bottom cover 500 are both made of ABS engineering plastics, which have excellent heat and weather resistance, dimensional stability, and impact resistance, and meet the use scenario requirements of the vehicle gear indicator light 10. The housing 100 is white as a whole, which is conducive to the reflection of light inside and improves the display brightness.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle gear indicator light 10 also includes a wiring harness connector 400, one end of which is fixed to the cover plate. For example, a wire buckle is provided on the cover plate, and the wiring harness connector 400 is fixed to the cover plate by the wire buckle, so that one end of the wiring harness connector 400 is firmly connected to the cover plate, ensuring that the wiring harness connector 400 and the circuit module 200 maintain a stable connection state.

[0038] The wiring harness connector 400 is provided with a plurality of signal lines 410, and the signal lines 410 are electrically connected to the circuit module 200. For example, the signal lines 410 are connected to the circuit board through a connector to achieve reliable transmission of electrical signals. The other end of the wiring harness connector 400 is connected to the vehicle controller to receive the gear position signal of the vehicle.

[0039] The wiring harness connector 400 uses high-quality conductive and insulating materials inside to cope with the influence of environmental factors such as vibration and temperature changes during vehicle operation, ensuring the stability and safety of the electrical connection.

[0040] It is understandable that the circuit module 200 in the embodiment further includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the harness connector 400, and is configured to receive the gear signal of the vehicle and control different LED lights 210 to emit light according to the gear signal. The control unit can be a single-chip microcomputer, which is responsible for receiving the gear signal from the vehicle gearbox or shift mechanism. These gear signals are usually transmitted in the form of electrical pulses or digital codes, and contain the gear information of the current vehicle, such as P gear, R gear, N gear, D gear, S gear, etc. After the single-chip microcomputer decodes and processes the gear signal, it sends a control instruction to the corresponding LED light 210 according to a preset logic algorithm.

[0041] Depending on the design of the vehicle, the gear indicator light uses different combinations of LED lights 210 to intuitively display the gear information. In the embodiment, the multiple LED lights 210 include multiple gear lights and multiple backlights. Each gear corresponds to a single gear light. When the control unit receives the corresponding gear signal, the corresponding gear light will be activated to emit light. When the vehicle is switched to a certain gear, such as P gear, the backlight under the "P" character on the vehicle gear display panel goes out and the gear light is on.

[0042] Based on this, the vehicle gear indicator light 10 realizes accurate display of the vehicle gear information through the coordinated work of the wiring harness connector 400, the circuit module 200 and multiple LED lights 210, providing the driver with clear and intuitive driving guidance information.

[0043] In some embodiments, the circuit module 200 may also integrate functional modules such as a signal processing circuit and a power management module. For example, the signal processing circuit may be responsible for pre-processing such as amplification, filtering, and shaping of the signal to ensure that the gear position signal received by the control unit is accurate and can also resist electromagnetic interference to a certain extent to protect the control unit from external noise. The power management module is responsible for providing a stable operating voltage, including a buck converter, an overcurrent and overvoltage protection circuit, etc., to ensure that the gear position indicator light can work normally under different vehicle electrical system conditions.

[0044] Reference Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the vehicle gear indicator light 10 includes 6 gear lights and 6 backlights, and the gear lights and backlights are set in a one-to-one correspondence, specifically including P gear, R gear, N gear, D gear and M gear, where M gear is a manual mode, M gear includes two gears "+" and "-", and M gear controls the up and down gears through "+" and "-", which is suitable for manual and automatic vehicles. Of course, this is only an example, and the number of gear lights and backlights is not limited to 6, and the specific number can be selected according to the number of gears of the vehicle.

[0045] Reference Figure 8 As shown, the specific circuit principle of the vehicle gear indicator light 10 is used as an example for explanation. In the embodiment, the single chip microcomputer is a microcontroller unit (MCU), and the signal processing circuit is used to process the LIN signal. The MCU controls the gear light and the backlight according to the processed LIN signal. Among them, the power management module is an LED drive module (LED Drive), and the LED drive module is used to drive the gear light to work. The number of gear lights and backlights is selected according to actual application requirements.

[0046] Reference Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 The front schematic diagram of the vehicle gear indicator light 10 is shown in FIG. In the embodiment, six channels 102 are arranged in the mounting cavity 111. Along the axial direction of the channel 102, each channel 102 corresponds to a gear light and a backlight. One end of the channel 102 is connected to the light outlet 101, and the other end is arranged toward the corresponding gear light. Each channel 102 is arranged opposite to the light shield 300, so that the light generated by the gear light and the backlight can pass through the light-transmitting area 310 and be emitted toward the light outlet 101 along the channel 102. Since the channels 102 are arranged at intervals, the light of adjacent gear lights can be effectively isolated to avoid mutual interference. It should be noted that the number of channels 102 is not limited to 6, and can be selected according to the number of gear lights.

[0047] Reference Figure 3As shown, it can be understood that the size of the channel 102 is set according to the size of the gear light. In the embodiment, the light-transmitting area 310 can be provided with a gear character corresponding to the gear light. For example, the gear light of the P gear corresponds to a "P" shaped character. When light passes through the light-transmitting area 310, the gear character position will light up, and the light can be emitted along the channel 102 to the light outlet 101. The channel 102 plays a role in guiding the light to prevent the light from scattering around and making the light more concentrated. The light can be guided without a light guide, and the housing 100 can be formed into a plurality of channels 102 in one piece by injection molding, which greatly reduces the number of parts, simplifies assembly, and effectively reduces the production cost.

[0048] It should be noted that, in the embodiment, a gear light and a backlight cooperate to emit light from the same channel 102. In order to distinguish the gear information of different gear lights, the gear light and the backlight are distinguished by different colors of light. For example, the gear lights are all red, and the backlights are all yellow or white. Specifically, when the gear light of the P gear is lit in red, the other gear lights are off, and the backlights at the positions corresponding to the other gear lights are lit in yellow.

[0049] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of cylinders 122 are arranged in the installation cavity 111, the interior of each cylinder 122 is constructed as a channel 102, and adjacent cylinders 122 are arranged at intervals. The cylinder 122 and the shell 100 are an integrally formed structure, and the cylinder 122 is made of white material, which can not only block the internal light from scattering outward, but also the inner wall of the channel 102 can reflect the light, so that more light is emitted to the light outlet 101, thereby improving the light utilization rate and making the gear display characters clearer.

[0050] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the barrel 122, the light shield 300 and the circuit module 200 are sequentially arranged in the installation cavity 111 from top to bottom, and the lower end of the barrel 122 abuts against the light shield 300, which can press the light shield 300 to ensure better sealing performance on the one hand, and reduce the light from being directed to the outside of the channel 102 on the other hand. It can be understood that the channel 102 structure is formed by the barrel 122, which can replace the light guide, and the housing 100 and the barrel 122 adopt an integral injection molding structure, which is easy to implement, low in manufacturing cost, greatly reduces the number of parts, and is easier to assemble, meeting the light guide requirements of the LED lamp 210, and does not affect the clarity of the gear information, so that the product has a better cost advantage. Considering that the vehicle gear indicator light 10 needs to be connected to the vehicle gear display panel for assembly when applied to the vehicle, in order to facilitate matching with the vehicle gear display panel, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the shell 100 includes a base portion 110 and a protrusion 120, the protrusion 120 protrudes from the upper end surface of the base portion 110, and the shell 100 is arranged on the back side of the vehicle gear position display panel and is connected to the vehicle gear position display panel through the protrusion 120.

[0051] Specifically, in the embodiment, the cross-sectional dimension of the protrusion 120 is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the base 110, wherein the base 110 is roughly rectangular, and the width of the protrusion 120 is smaller than the width of the base 110, so that the protrusion 120 and the base 110 have different sizes, which facilitates connection with the vehicle gear display panel through the protrusion and uses the base 110 for limiting, making assembly easier and the structure more stable.

[0052] Reference Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of cylinders 122 are formed inside the raised portion 120, a plurality of light exit holes 101 are formed on the upper end surface of the raised portion 120, each light exit hole 101 corresponds to a channel 102, and the cylinder 122 may be completely located inside the raised portion 120, or a portion of the cylinder 122 may be located inside the raised portion 120, and the other portion may extend into the base portion 110. The mounting cavity 111 is located inside the base portion 110, that is, the light shield 300 and the circuit module 200 are mounted inside the base portion 110, from Figure 5 It can be understood from the figure that the upper end surface of the barrel 122 and the base portion 110 limit the upper end surface of the light shield 300, and the light shield 300 is pressed by the circuit board and the cover plate, so that the overall installation structure is more compact, more stable and reliable.

[0053] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the outer side wall of the raised portion 120 is provided with a plurality of buckles 121, and the plurality of buckles 121 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the raised portion 120, and the buckles 121 are used to connect with the vehicle gear display panel. Specifically, the buckles 121 are buckled into the slots 621 on the back of the vehicle gear display panel, so that the vehicle gear indicator light 10 is fixedly connected to the vehicle gear display panel, and the assembly is simple.

[0054] Refer to 6 and Figure 7As shown, the vehicle gear position display panel provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a panel body 600, and a mounting position 610 is provided on the back of the panel body 600. Specifically, a flange 620 is provided on the back of the panel body 600, and the mounting position 610 is defined by the flange 620. The mounting position 610 is provided with a plurality of slots 621, and the slots 621 are formed on the flange 620. The number of the slots 621 is consistent with the number of the buckles 121. During assembly, the protrusion 120 of the housing 100 is correspondingly inserted into the mounting position 610, so that the buckles 121 are buckled into the slots 621 one by one, thereby realizing the rapid assembly of the vehicle gear position indicator light 10 and the vehicle gear position display panel, and the operation is simple. The specific number of the buckles 121 and the slots 621 is selected according to factors such as the size and shape of the vehicle gear position indicator light 10.

[0055] It should be noted that in the embodiment, the surface of the panel body 600 has multiple light-transmitting holes, and the number of the light-transmitting holes is consistent with the number of the light-emitting holes 101, so that the multiple light-transmitting holes and the multiple light-emitting holes 101 can be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. In the embodiment, the light-transmitting hole can be a through hole or a light-transmitting structure covered with a light-transmitting material, and the shape of the light-transmitting hole matches the shape of the gear character, so as to clearly display the gear information.

[0056] refer to Figures 9 to 11 The control method of the vehicle gear indicator light 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described, which is applicable to the vehicle gear indicator light 10 of the above embodiment. The control method is described below by taking a specific example.

[0057] Reference Fig. 9 As shown, the control method of the embodiment of the present invention includes but is not limited to the following steps: Step S100, receiving a gear signal of a vehicle, the gear signal comprising a first preset signal value; Step S200, according to the first preset signal value and the first preset relationship table, controlling the gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value to emit light.

[0058] Combination Figures 1 to 5It can be understood that the vehicle gear indicator light 10 of the present invention includes 6 gear lights, and the gear lights and backlights are set in a one-to-one correspondence, specifically including P gear, R gear, N gear, D gear and M gear, wherein M gear includes two gears of "+" and "-", also understood as M+ gear and M- gear, and the above gears correspond to P gear light, R gear light, N gear light, D gear light, M+ gear light and M- gear light respectively. The gear light is used to indicate the current gear state, reminding the driver of the current gear state of the vehicle, ensuring that the driver can accurately understand and operate the gear, thereby avoiding safety hazards caused by misoperation. When one of the gear lights is on, the other gear lights will not light up, and at the same time, the backlights of other gears are on. The gear lights and the backlight emit different colors of light, which is convenient for distinguishing from the currently lit gear lights, so that the driver can know the current gear more accurately.

[0059] When the control unit receives a gear signal from the vehicle, it determines a first preset signal value based on the gear signal. In the embodiment, the gear signal is a LIN signal, which includes a first preset signal value. The LIN signal is processed by a signal processing circuit to obtain the first preset signal value in the LIN signal. The first preset signal value is input into the MCU. The MCU can find the gear light corresponding to the first preset signal value based on a pre-constructed first preset relationship table. The first preset relationship table is used to characterize the correspondence between different first preset signal values ​​and different gear lights. The first preset relationship table can be pre-stored in the memory of the MCU. The MCU can call the first preset relationship table and quickly obtain the gear light corresponding to the received first preset signal value by looking up the table. The gear light is then controlled to be powered on to emit light.

[0060] The following is a specific example. In the example, the first preset signal value is the LeverInfo value, and the LeverInfo value is recorded in binary form. The vehicle gear indicator light 10 lights up the corresponding gear light according to the LeverInfo value in the LIN signal. For example, when the LeverInfo value = 0, the P gear light is on; when the LeverInfo value = 5, the M gear light (M+ and M-) is on; when LeverInfo>8, the gear light does not work. The first preset relationship table is specifically shown in the following table:

[0061] Reference Fig.10 As shown, the control method of the embodiment of the present invention also includes but is not limited to the following steps: Step S300, when the vehicle is powered on and no gear position signal is received within a first preset time, all gear position lights and backlights are controlled to remain off; Step S400, when the vehicle is powered on and no gear signal is received after a first preset time, all backlights are controlled to be turned on; Step S500, when the vehicle is powered on and a gear position signal is received after a first preset time, a gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value is controlled to light up.

[0062] It can be understood that the vehicle power-on state can be understood as the power mode when the whole vehicle is powered on (battery connected), the engine is not started (engine model) or the power battery is not at high voltage (plug-in hybrid model, extended-range hybrid model or pure electric model). When the vehicle is powered on, it is necessary to re-determine the state of the gear light and the backlight according to the gear signal after power-on. Considering that the vehicle power-on state needs to determine the gear according to the driver's operation, the first preset time is set as the waiting time in the embodiment, and the first preset time can be 1s, 2s, 5s, etc. The first preset time can be selected according to the actual application requirements of the vehicle.

[0063] In step S300, the vehicle is powered on and no gear signal is received within the first preset time, indicating that the driver has not performed any gear shifting operation while waiting for instructions. This process controls all gear lights and backlights to remain in the off state, and the vehicle is in an unstarted state.

[0064] In step S400, when the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is not received after the first preset time, it means that the driver has not operated to shift gears. At this time, all backlights are controlled to be turned on, so that all the light-transmitting holes in the vehicle gear position display panel are lit with white light, which is used to indicate that the vehicle is not started and is in a waiting mode. It can be understood that the vehicle cannot be driven in this state, but the vehicle can provide power to electrical devices through the battery.

[0065] In step S500, when the vehicle is powered on and receives a gear signal after a first preset time, it indicates that the driver enters the driving mode. At this time, the corresponding gear light is controlled to light up according to the gear signal, that is, the operations of the above steps S100 and S200 are executed.

[0066] The corresponding gear light is controlled to illuminate according to the gear signal, which makes it convenient for the driver to know the current gear position of the vehicle; since the vehicle gear indicator light 10 adopted in the embodiment does not need to be installed with a light guide, it is beneficial to simplify the overall installation structure of the vehicle gear indicator light, and the assembly is easier, and the mold development cost is reduced, which effectively reduces the production cost and further enhances the product advantage.

[0067] It should be noted that in the embodiment, when the vehicle receives a gear signal in the normal operation process, the corresponding gear light is lit within 100ms according to the gear signal; when no valid gear signal is received, the gear light is controlled according to the last valid gear signal, that is, the current gear light state is maintained. However, when the power signal of the vehicle is OFF, all gear lights are controlled to be turned off.

[0068] Reference Fig.11 As shown, the control method of the embodiment of the present invention also includes but is not limited to the following steps: Step S600, when a gear position signal is received, determining a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value according to a second preset signal value and a second preset relationship table; Step S700, driving the backlight to emit light according to a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present invention, the gear signal is a LIN signal, and the LIN signal also includes a second preset signal value. The second preset relationship table is used to characterize the correspondence between different second preset signal values ​​and different preset duty cycles. When the second preset signal value in the LIN signal is obtained, the second preset signal value is input into the MCU. The MCU can find the preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value according to the pre-constructed second preset relationship table, and then drive the backlight to emit light according to the preset duty cycle.

[0070] It can be understood that by adjusting the backlight emission through pulse width modulation (PWM), by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the current intensity of the LED can be controlled, thereby achieving the purpose of adjusting its brightness. The larger the duty cycle, the higher the brightness of the backlight; the smaller the duty cycle, the lower the brightness of the backlight. In the embodiment of the present invention, a mapping relationship between the second preset signal value and the preset duty cycle is pre-established, that is, different second preset signal values ​​correspond to different preset duty cycles, and the preset duty cycle is the value of the PWM duty cycle used to drive the LED to emit light.

[0071] Specifically, when the second preset signal value is obtained, the required PWM duty cycle is calculated according to the mapping relationship established above, and a PWM controller or a microcontroller can be used to generate a PWM signal with a corresponding duty cycle, so as to use the PWM signal to drive the backlight to work. Of course, when the second preset signal value in the received LIN message changes, the duty cycle of the PWM signal can be dynamically adjusted to achieve the adjustment of the backlight. For example, different second preset signal values ​​can be output according to the change of ambient brightness, so as to achieve the purpose of adjusting the brightness of the backlight.

[0072] The backlight control method is described in detail below with a specific example.

[0073] In the example, the second preset signal value is the Backlightbrightness value. The brightness of the backlight is adjusted according to the value change of BackLightBrightness in the LIN signal. When BackLightBrightness=0, the backlight is not lit; when BackLightBrightness is not equal to 0, the backlight needs to be driven to emit light according to the specific value of BackLightBrightness. The specific logic is as follows: The value range of BackLightBrightness in the LIN signal is 0~100. When BackLightBrightness=0, the backlight is not turned on. When BackLightBrightness=1, the duty cycle of the backlight output is 1%, and when BackLightBrightness=2, the duty cycle of the backlight output is 2%. When the backlight is turned on, 1% is the darkest and 100% is the brightest. When BackLightBrightness is an invalid value, the last value is retained. The second preset relationship table is shown in the following table:

[0074] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a control unit, including a processor and a program stored in a memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, a method for controlling a vehicle gear indicator light as in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0075] It should be noted that the vehicle gear indicator light 10 of the embodiment of the present invention has a control unit, which is integrated with the vehicle gear indicator light 10 and has a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor, the control method of the vehicle gear indicator light of the above embodiment is executed.

[0076] Take the example that the processor and memory in the control unit can be connected through a bus. The memory, as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transient software programs and non-transient computer executable programs. In addition, the memory may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk memory, a flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the control processor, and these remote memories may be connected to the controller via a network.

[0077] The non-transient software program and instructions required to implement the control method of the above embodiment are stored in the memory, and when executed by the processor, the control method of the above embodiment is executed, for example, the control method described above is executed. Fig. 9Steps S100 to S200 of the method, Fig.10 The method includes steps S300 to S500, etc.

[0078] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0079] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a vehicle, including the vehicle gear indicator light 10 or the vehicle gear display panel of the above embodiment. The vehicle can be a private car, such as a sedan, SUV, MPV or pickup truck. The vehicle can also be an operating vehicle, such as a van, bus, small truck or large trailer. The vehicle can be a new energy vehicle. When the vehicle is a new energy vehicle, it can be a hybrid vehicle or a pure electric vehicle.

[0080] Since the vehicle adopts all the technical solutions of the vehicle gear indicator light 10 or the vehicle gear display panel of the above-mentioned embodiment, it at least has all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0081] A computer-readable storage medium is also provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. The computer program includes program instructions. A processor executes the program instructions to implement any vehicle gear indicator light control method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0082] The computer-readable storage medium may be a hard disk or memory of the domain controller in the aforementioned embodiment. The computer-readable storage medium may also be an external storage device of the domain controller, such as a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (Smart Media Card, SMC), a secure digital (Secure Digital, SD) card, a flash card (FlashCard), etc., equipped on the domain controller.

[0083] Since the computer program stored in the computer-readable storage medium can execute any one of the vehicle gear indicator light control methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the beneficial effects that can be achieved by any one of the vehicle gear indicator light control methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be achieved. Please refer to the previous embodiments for details and will not be repeated here.

[0084] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle gear indicator light, characterized in that: include: A housing is provided with a mounting cavity and a plurality of light exit holes, wherein the plurality of light exit holes are respectively connected to the mounting cavity and are spaced apart and distributed on the surface of the housing; A circuit module connected to the housing and disposed in the mounting cavity, wherein the circuit module is provided with a plurality of LED lamps, and the LED lamps are disposed opposite to the light emitting hole; A light shield is arranged in the installation cavity and covers a side of the circuit module facing the light exit hole. The light shield is provided with a light-transmitting area, and the light-transmitting area covers the plurality of LED lamps.

2. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of channels are provided in the installation cavity, and the plurality of channels are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light exit holes. One end of the channel is connected to the light exit hole, and the other end is arranged toward the LED lamp. The light generated by the LED lamp can pass through the light-transmitting area and be emitted toward the light exit hole along the channel.

3. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of LED lamps include a plurality of shift lamps and a plurality of backlight lamps. Along the axial direction of the channel, each channel is arranged opposite to a shift lamp and a backlight lamp.

4. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of cylinders are arranged in the installation cavity, the interior of each cylinder is constructed as the channel, a side of the cylinder away from the light exit hole abuts against the light shield, and the cylinder is connected to the shell and formed integrally.

5. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shell includes a base portion and a raised portion, wherein the raised portion is arranged on the upper end surface of the base portion, the cross-sectional dimension of the raised portion is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the base portion, the channel is at least partially formed on the inner side of the raised portion, a plurality of light exit holes are formed on the upper end surface of the raised portion, and the mounting cavity is formed on the inner side of the base portion.

6. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer side wall of the protrusion is provided with a plurality of buckles, which are arranged along the circumference of the protrusion, and the buckles are used to be connected to the vehicle gear position display panel.

7. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit module comprises a circuit board, a plurality of LED lamps are arranged on the surface of the circuit board, and a peripheral edge of the light shield is provided with a peripheral edge, which is arranged along the circumference of the circuit board and is sealed with the circuit board.

8. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shading cover is made of rubber, and the thickness of the shading cover ranges from 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

9. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is made of ABS engineering plastics.

10. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle gear indicator light further comprises a bottom cover, the bottom side of the shell is provided with an opening communicating with the installation cavity, and the bottom cover covers the opening to open or close the installation cavity.

11. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 10, characterized in that: The vehicle gear indicator light also includes a wiring harness connector, one end of which is fixed to the cover plate and is electrically connected to the circuit module.

12. The vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 11, characterized in that: The circuit module includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the wiring harness connector. The control unit is configured to receive a gear signal of the vehicle and control different LED lights to emit light according to the gear signal.

13. A vehicle gear position display panel, characterized in that: It comprises a panel body, the back side of which is provided with a mounting position, the mounting position being used to mount the vehicle gear indicator light according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the surface of the panel body being provided with a plurality of light-transmitting holes, the plurality of light-transmitting holes being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light-emitting holes.

14. The vehicle gear position display panel according to claim 13, characterized in that: The mounting position is provided with a plurality of slots, the outer side wall of the shell is provided with a plurality of buckles, the plurality of buckles are arranged along the circumference of the shell, and the buckles are buckled with the slots to fix the vehicle gear indicator light to the back side of the panel body.

15. A method for controlling a vehicle gear indicator light, characterized in that: Applicable to the vehicle gear indicator light according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the plurality of LED lights include a plurality of gear lights, and the control method includes: Receiving a gear signal of a vehicle, wherein the gear signal includes a first preset signal value; According to the first preset signal value and a first preset relationship table, the gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value is controlled to emit light, and the first preset relationship table is used to characterize the correspondence between different first preset signal values ​​and different gear position lamps.

16. The method for controlling a vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 15, characterized in that: The plurality of LED lamps also include a plurality of backlight lamps, and the control method further includes: When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is not received within a first preset time, all the gear position lights and the backlight are controlled to remain in an off state; When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is not received after a first preset time, all the backlights are controlled to be turned on; When the vehicle is powered on and the gear position signal is received after a first preset time, the control is executed to illuminate the gear position lamp corresponding to the first preset signal value.

17. The method for controlling a vehicle gear position indicator light according to claim 15, characterized in that: The plurality of LED lamps further include a plurality of backlight lamps, the gear position signal further includes a second preset signal value, and the control method further includes: When the gear signal is received, a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value is determined according to the second preset signal value and a second preset relationship table, wherein the second preset relationship table is used to represent the correspondence between different second preset signal values ​​and different preset duty cycles; The backlight is driven to emit light according to a preset duty cycle corresponding to the second preset signal value.

18. A control unit, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the vehicle gear indicator light control method according to any one of claims 15 to 17.

19. A vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises the vehicle gear indicator light according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the vehicle gear display panel according to any one of claims 13 to 14.

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