A method for multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel and its configuration implementation.

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method for adapting automotive instrument clusters to multiple sizes and implementing configuration. By setting up a universal motherboard with a standard interface group, and combining it with interface adaptation components, a screen recognition module, and a configuration-based driver loading mechanism, the same universal motherboard can adapt to display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. Simultaneously, through a shared mounting structure for multiple sizes and a flexible wiring avoidance design, display modules of different sizes can share the same assembly system. Therefore, rapid adaptation of automotive instrument clusters to multiple display modules can be achieved without redesigning the motherboard, modifying the underlying driver code, or creating new main structural molds. This reduces R&D, production, and inventory costs, and improves hardware platform reusability, screen switching efficiency, and overall assembly versatility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of automotive electronics technology, and more specifically, to a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel and a configuration implementation method. Background Technology

[0002] As a crucial component for vehicle human-machine interaction and driving information display, automotive instrument panels typically display information such as vehicle speed, battery level, remaining range, alarm information, driver assistance information, and vehicle operating status. With the development of vehicle platformization, intelligence, and differentiated configuration requirements, different vehicle models or different configurations of the same model often require instrument panel displays of different sizes. Different sized display modules typically differ in resolution, display interface, power supply timing, backlight control method, touch interface, FPC cable routing, and structural installation space. Therefore, automotive instrument panels need to possess good hardware compatibility and software configuration capabilities.

[0003] Current automotive instrument clusters typically employ a design where one PCB motherboard corresponds to one screen size. This means different screen sizes require different motherboards, interface locations, connector types, and mounting structures. While this approach allows for adaptation to a single screen specification, it lacks versatility. When screen size, supplier, or interface definition changes, it often necessitates redesigning the PCB, adjusting interface circuits, modifying mounting hole positions, replanning FPC trace space, and redoing prototyping, debugging, and reliability verification. This results in lengthy development cycles, a large variety of materials, complex inventory management, and high production changeover costs, hindering the platform-based development and large-scale application of automotive instrument clusters. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides at least one method for adapting automotive instrument panels to multiple sizes and implementing configuration. By setting a universal motherboard with a standard interface group, and combining it with interface adaptation components, a screen recognition module, and a configuration-based driver loading mechanism, the same universal motherboard can adapt to display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. Simultaneously, through a shared mounting structure for multiple sizes and flexible wiring avoidance design, display modules of different sizes can share the same assembly system. Therefore, rapid adaptation of automotive instrument panels to multiple display modules can be achieved without redesigning the motherboard, modifying the underlying driver code, or creating new main structural molds. This reduces R&D, production, and inventory costs, and improves hardware platform reusability, screen switching efficiency, and overall assembly versatility.

[0005] This disclosure provides a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel, including: The general-purpose motherboard is equipped with a standard interface group, which is used to output display signals, power supply signals, touch signals, backlight control signals and screen recognition signals according to a unified interface definition; The display module can be any of the various sizes of display modules; An interface adapter component is connected between the general motherboard and the display module, and is used to adapt the signals output by the standard interface group to the screen interface corresponding to the display module while keeping the interface definition of the standard interface group unchanged. A screen recognition module is used to obtain screen identity information corresponding to the display module; A control module, connected to the screen recognition module and the standard interface group, is used to determine the driver configuration parameters matching the display module based on the screen identity information, and control the display module to display based on the driver configuration parameters; The universal motherboard is equipped with a multi-size shared structural mounting part and a flexible wiring avoidance area, so that the universal motherboard can be adapted to automotive instrument housings of different sizes and display modules of different sizes.

[0006] In one optional implementation, the standard interface group includes at least a display driver interface, a touch screen interface, a backlight driver interface, and a screen recognition interface. The display driver interface includes at least a display power supply pin, a MIPI DSI signal pin, a display reset pin, and a display enable pin; The touch screen interface includes at least an I2C communication pin, a touch interrupt pin, and a touch reset pin. The backlight driving interface includes at least a backlight enable pin, a PWM dimming pin, and a backlight detection pin. The screen recognition interface is used to receive hardware recognition signals or communication recognition signals corresponding to the display module.

[0007] In one optional implementation, the interface adapter component includes an adapter board; One end of the adapter board is connected to the standard interface group, and the other end is connected to the screen interface of the display module; The adapter board is used to perform pin rearrangement, signal mapping, level matching, timing adaptation, and electrostatic discharge protection on at least some of the pins in the standard interface group according to the interface definition of the display module, so that display modules with different interface definitions or from different manufacturers can be connected to the same universal motherboard.

[0008] In one optional implementation, the adapter board adopts an automotive-grade high-speed signal adapter structure; The automotive-grade high-speed signal adapter structure includes differential traces for transmitting high-speed differential display signals, a reference ground plane corresponding to the differential traces, and a grounding shield structure surrounding the differential traces. The differential traces are impedance controlled according to a preset impedance range and length matched according to a preset equal length rule to reduce the impact of the adapter board on the integrity of the display link signal.

[0009] In one optional embodiment, the adapter plate is provided with an automotive-grade connector and a flexible bending area; The automotive-grade connector is used to maintain a stable electrical connection between the general-purpose motherboard and the display module in a vibration environment; The flexible bending area is equipped with stress-relieving wiring and a protective covering layer to adapt to the wiring positions and bending paths of display modules of different sizes.

[0010] In one optional implementation, the screen recognition module includes an I2C recognition unit; The I2C identification unit is used to read screen-specific identity information set in the memory or driver chip register on the display module side during the power-on initialization phase. The screen-specific identity information includes at least one of the following: screen size, resolution, display timing, effective display area, coordinate parameters, and manufacturer information; The control module indexes the driver configuration table based on the screen-specific identity information to obtain driver configuration parameters that match the display module.

[0011] In one optional implementation, the screen recognition module further includes an ADC recognition unit; The ADC identification unit is used to acquire the voltage divider signal formed by the identification resistor on the display module side, and determine the screen type corresponding to the display module according to the voltage range of the voltage divider signal; When the I2C identification unit identifies an anomaly, the control module determines the corresponding driver configuration parameters based on the screen type determined by the ADC identification unit.

[0012] In one optional implementation, the screen recognition module further includes a display link recognition unit; The display link identification unit is used to perform link handshake or timing detection on the display module through the display driving link in order to obtain the display link parameters corresponding to the display module. The control module is used to cross-verify the identification results of the I2C identification unit, the ADC identification unit, and the display link identification unit, and to perform arbitration or security degradation processing when the identification results are inconsistent.

[0013] In one optional embodiment, the structural mounting part includes multiple sets of mounting holes disposed on the universal motherboard, the multiple sets of mounting holes respectively corresponding to the fixing post positions of automotive instrument housings of different sizes; The flexible cabling avoidance area is set around the standard interface group to provide avoidance space for FPC cables of different lengths, different outgoing directions or different bending paths; The universal motherboard, the display module, and the automotive instrument housing are assembled based on a unified structural positioning reference, so that display modules of different sizes can share the same universal motherboard assembly system.

[0014] This disclosure also provides a configurable implementation method for multi-size adaptive automotive instrument clusters, applied to multi-size adaptive automotive instrument clusters as described in any of the above embodiments, the method comprising: During the power-on initialization phase of the vehicle's instrument panel, the screen identification information of the currently connected display module is obtained through the screen recognition module. Based on the screen identity information, determine the screen type corresponding to the currently accessed display module; Based on the screen type, the driver configuration parameters matching the currently accessed display module are retrieved from the preset driver configuration table. The driver configuration parameters include at least one of the following: resolution parameters, display timing parameters, effective display area parameters, backlight control parameters, and coordinate mapping parameters. Configure at least one of the display drive link, backlight control link, and touch link according to the drive configuration parameters; After configuration is completed, the currently connected display module is controlled to display according to the driver configuration parameters, so as to achieve adaptive adaptation of the same general motherboard to display modules of various sizes.

[0015] This disclosure provides a method for adapting multi-size automotive instrument panels and implementing configurability. By setting up a universal motherboard with a standard interface group, and combining it with interface adaptation components, a screen recognition module, and a configurable driver loading mechanism, the same universal motherboard can adapt to display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. Simultaneously, through a shared mounting structure for multiple sizes and a flexible wiring avoidance design, display modules of different sizes can share the same assembly system. Therefore, without redesigning the motherboard, modifying the underlying driver code, or creating new main structural molds, rapid adaptation of automotive instrument panels to multi-size display modules can be achieved, reducing R&D, production, and inventory costs, and improving hardware platform reusability, screen switching efficiency, and overall assembly versatility.

[0016] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. These drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. They illustrate embodiments conforming to this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the technical solutions of this disclosure. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope. Those skilled in the art can obtain other related drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument cluster provided by an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a standard interface group provided by an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a conversion and adaptation schematic of an interface adapter component provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the assembly effect of a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument cluster provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a configurable implementation method for a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument cluster provided by an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of this disclosure described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this disclosure provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed disclosure, but merely represents selected embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0020] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0021] In this document, the term "and / or" merely describes a relationship, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, the term "at least one" in this document means any combination of at least two of any one or more elements. For example, including at least one of A, B, and C can mean including any one or more elements selected from the set consisting of A, B, and C.

[0022] Research has revealed that current automotive instrument clusters typically employ a design where one PCB motherboard corresponds to one screen size. This means different screen sizes require different motherboards, interface locations, connector types, and mounting structures. While this approach allows for adaptation to a single screen size, it lacks versatility. Changes in screen size, supplier, or interface definition often necessitate PCB redesign, interface circuit adjustments, modification of mounting holes, replanning of FPC traces, and re-prototyping, debugging, and reliability verification. This results in lengthy development cycles, a large variety of materials, complex inventory management, and high production changeover costs, hindering the platform-based development and large-scale application of automotive instrument clusters.

[0023] Based on the above research, this disclosure provides a method for adapting automotive instrument panels to multiple sizes and implementing configuration. By setting up a universal motherboard with a standard interface group, and combining it with interface adaptation components, a screen recognition module, and a configuration-based driver loading mechanism, the same universal motherboard can adapt to display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. Simultaneously, through a shared mounting structure for multiple sizes and a flexible wiring avoidance design, display modules of different sizes can share the same assembly system. Therefore, without redesigning the motherboard, modifying the underlying driver code, or creating new main structural molds, rapid adaptation of automotive instrument panels to multiple display modules can be achieved, reducing R&D, production, and inventory costs, and improving hardware platform reusability, screen switching efficiency, and overall assembly versatility.

[0024] To facilitate understanding of this embodiment, a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel disclosed in this disclosure will first be described in detail.

[0025] See Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic of a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel, which includes a universal motherboard, an interface adapter component, a display module, a structural mounting part, and a flexible wiring avoidance area.

[0027] In practical implementation, the universal motherboard serves as a universal hardware platform for automotive instruments, carrying functions such as instrument control, display driving, screen recognition, and interface connection. The interface adapter component connects the universal motherboard and the display module, enabling electrical compatibility between the universal motherboard and display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. The display module displays vehicle operating information, alarm information, driver assistance information, and other instrument display content. The structural mounting section enables the universal motherboard to be fixedly assembled with automotive instrument housings of different sizes. The flexible wiring avoidance area provides routing and bending space for FPC cables or connecting cables corresponding to display modules of different sizes.

[0028] Here, the universal motherboard features a standard interface group, a control module, a screen recognition module, and a driver configuration table. The standard interface group serves as a unified interface for the universal motherboard to connect to external display modules, and its interface definition remains consistent across automotive instrument clusters of different sizes.

[0029] In other words, regardless of whether the display module uses 7-inch, 8.8-inch, 10.25-inch, 12.3-inch or other sizes, the interface positions, interface functions and main electrical definitions on the general motherboard side remain unchanged.

[0030] The standard interface group may include a display driver interface, a touch screen interface, a backlight driver interface, and a screen recognition interface, thereby realizing display signal transmission, touch signal transmission, backlight control, and screen identification, respectively.

[0031] Here, one end of the interface adapter component connects to the standard interface group of the general-purpose motherboard, and the other end connects to the screen interface of the display module. For display modules whose interface definitions are consistent with the standard interface group, they can be directly connected to the general-purpose motherboard via FPC cables or connecting cables; for display modules whose interface definitions, pin arrangements, electrical parameters, or connector types are inconsistent with the standard interface group, they can be converted using the interface adapter component.

[0032] The interface adapter component can be an adapter board, a flexible adapter board, a hardware-software hybrid adapter board, or an active adapter board with protocol conversion devices. Through the interface adapter component, pin rearrangement, signal mapping, level matching, timing adaptation, electrostatic discharge protection, or protocol conversion can be achieved without changing the general motherboard hardware design, thus enabling display modules of different sizes, from different suppliers, or with different interface types to connect to the same general motherboard.

[0033] Here, the screen recognition module is used to obtain the screen identity information corresponding to the currently connected display module during the power-on initialization phase of the vehicle's instrument panel. The screen identity information may include one or more of the following: screen size, resolution, display timing, effective display area, touch coordinate range, backlight control parameters, manufacturer information, or screen model information.

[0034] The screen recognition module can employ I2C communication recognition, resistor voltage divider recognition, GPIO encoding recognition, display link handshake recognition, or a combination of these methods. Through the screen recognition module, the general-purpose motherboard can automatically determine the type of the currently connected display module without requiring manual selection of the screen model or re-flashing firmware for different screens.

[0035] In one implementation, the screen recognition module includes an I2C recognition unit. The display module side can have a memory, or it can utilize the configuration registers within the display driver chip to store the screen-specific identification information. After the vehicle's instrument panel is powered on, the control module initiates a read operation through the I2C recognition unit to retrieve the screen-specific identification information corresponding to the display module.

[0036] The screen-specific identity information may include one or more of the following: screen size, screen model, resolution, display timing, effective display area, touch coordinate range, backlight configuration parameters, and manufacturer information.

[0037] Specifically, after the display module is connected to the general motherboard, the control module first initializes the screen recognition channel and reads the screen-specific identity information pre-stored on the display module side via I2C communication. The control module can perform integrity verification on the read data, such as checksum verification, CRC check, or data length verification, to confirm whether the read screen-specific identity information is valid. After confirming the validity of the screen-specific identity information, the control module queries the driver configuration table based on the screen-specific identity information to obtain the driver configuration parameters that match the current display module.

[0038] In this way, screen identification via the I2C recognition unit allows the screen's identity information to be bound to the display module itself. When replacing display modules with different sizes or from different manufacturers, the control module can directly read the screen's unique identity information corresponding to the current display module, without requiring manual setting of the screen model or re-modification or reprogramming of the instrument firmware, thereby improving screen switching and adaptation efficiency.

[0039] In another embodiment, the screen recognition module further includes an ADC recognition unit. A recognition resistor can be configured on the display module side, with different sizes or models of display modules configured with different resistance values. The recognition resistor and the sampling circuit on the general-purpose motherboard side form a resistor divider circuit. The control module acquires the recognition voltage output by this resistor divider circuit through the ADC recognition unit and determines the screen type corresponding to the current display module based on the preset voltage range of the recognition voltage.

[0040] Specifically, the control module can sample the recognition voltage multiple times during the power-on initialization phase and filter the sampling results. Filtering can employ averaging, median filtering, or mean calculation after removing the maximum and minimum values ​​to reduce the impact of power fluctuations, transient noise, or contact jitter on the recognition results. The filtered recognition voltage is compared with a preset voltage range, with each preset voltage range corresponding to a screen type. When the recognition voltage falls within a preset voltage range, the control module determines that the current display module belongs to the screen type corresponding to that preset voltage range.

[0041] Here, the ADC identification unit can serve as a redundant identification method for the I2C identification unit. When I2C communication fails, read times out, read data verification fails, or the display module's memory malfunctions, the control module can switch to using the ADC identification unit's result to determine the current screen type. Since the ADC identification method mainly relies on hardware resistor voltage division and does not depend on the communication response on the display module side, it can provide backup identification results in the event of a communication link failure, thus improving the screen recognition reliability of automotive instrument panels in automotive-grade environments.

[0042] In another embodiment, the screen recognition module further includes a display link recognition unit. The display link recognition unit is used to perform link handshake, timing detection, or parameter reading on the display module via the display driving link to obtain the display link parameters corresponding to the current display module. The display link parameters may include one or more of the following: display interface type, pixel clock, line synchronization parameters, field synchronization parameters, effective pixel area, data format, display link handshake status, or link error detection result.

[0043] Specifically, after the display module is powered on and completes a basic reset, the control module can send initialization commands, status read commands, or link detection commands to the display module via the display link, and determine whether the display link is normal based on the display module's response. For display modules that support parameter reading, the control module can read the register information of the display driver chip via the display link; for display modules that do not support direct parameter reading, the control module can determine whether the current display module matches the identified screen type based on the link handshake status, clock response status, or display synchronization status.

[0044] Here, the display link identification unit can serve as an auxiliary verification method for the I2C identification unit and the ADC identification unit. After obtaining the I2C identification result and the ADC identification result, the control module can further perform cross-verification by combining the display link parameters obtained by the display link identification unit. For example, when the I2C identification result indicates that the current display module is a first-size screen, the ADC identification result also falls within the voltage range corresponding to the first-size screen, and the display link parameters match the resolution or display timing corresponding to the first-size screen, the control module confirms that the current screen type identification result is valid.

[0045] It should be noted that in the event of inconsistent multi-path identification results, the control module can perform arbitration. Arbitration can include priority arbitration, majority voting arbitration, or credibility arbitration. For example, the control module can prioritize the I2C identification result after data verification; when the I2C identification result is invalid, it can use the ADC identification result; when the I2C identification result and the ADC identification result are inconsistent, the display link identification result is used for judgment. If at least two of the three identification methods point to the same screen type, the control module can determine that screen type as the screen type of the current display module.

[0046] Here, when multiple recognition results are invalid, or when there are irreconcilable conflicts between multiple recognition results, the control module can perform a safety degradation process. This safety degradation process may include one or more of the following: stopping the loading of the high-resolution display configuration, loading the preset default display configuration, reducing backlight brightness, outputting a screen recognition error message, recording a fault code, or preventing the instrument cluster from entering normal display mode. Through this safety degradation process, display timing errors, backlight abnormalities, image distortion, or abnormal display of important vehicle information caused by screen misrecognition can be avoided.

[0047] Furthermore, the control module connects to the standard interface group, the screen recognition module, and the driver configuration table. The control module receives screen identity information output by the screen recognition module and determines the screen type corresponding to the current display module based on this information. The driver configuration table pre-stores driver configuration parameters corresponding to multiple screen types. These parameters may include resolution parameters, display timing parameters, effective display area parameters, backlight PWM parameters, backlight enable timing, touch coordinate mapping parameters, and display scaling parameters.

[0048] After determining the current screen type, the control module retrieves the corresponding driver configuration parameters from the driver configuration table and completes the initialization configuration of the display driver link, backlight control link, and touch control link based on the retrieved driver configuration parameters.

[0049] Here, the structural mounting section is used to achieve assembly compatibility between the universal mainboard and automotive instrument panel housings of different sizes. Specifically, the universal mainboard can be equipped with multiple sets of mounting holes, with different mounting holes corresponding to the fixing post positions of instrument panel housings of different sizes. During assembly, the corresponding mounting hole is selected according to the size of the current instrument panel housing, thus fixing the same universal mainboard into instrument panel housings of different sizes.

[0050] The flexible routing avoidance area is located near the interface area of ​​the general motherboard to provide routing space for FPC cables of different sizes of display modules, so that short cables are not overstretched and long cables are not squeezed and stacked. Cables with different output directions can be bent, stored and connected within the reserved space.

[0051] In a specific application scenario, the same universal motherboard can be adapted to 8.8-inch, 10.25-inch, and 12.3-inch display modules respectively. When an 8.8-inch display module is connected, the display module can connect to the universal motherboard through an interface adapter component, and the screen recognition module identifies the corresponding screen identity information. When a 10.25-inch or 12.3-inch display module is connected, the control module similarly calls the corresponding driver configuration parameters based on the recognition result and controls the display module to display according to the corresponding resolution and display timing. Since the standard interface and assembly benchmark on the universal motherboard side remain unchanged, instruments of different sizes can share the same hardware platform and assembly system, thereby improving the platform reuse capability of automotive instruments and reducing the development, production, and maintenance costs of multi-size products.

[0052] Thus, through the above structure, this embodiment centrally absorbs the differences between different sized automotive instrument panels through the display module, interface adapter components, and driver configuration parameters, while maintaining consistency in the hardware platform, standard interface definitions, main installation structure, and basic firmware of the universal motherboard. Therefore, when changing the size or supplier of the display module, there is no need to redesign the motherboard, readjust the motherboard interface layout, or modify the underlying display driver code. Only the selection of an interface adapter component matching the display module is required, and the screen recognition module and control module handle screen type identification and driver parameter loading, enabling rapid adaptation to multiple automotive instrument panel sizes.

[0053] See Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of a standard interface group provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0054] In this embodiment, a standard interface group is provided on the universal motherboard. The standard interface group serves as a unified connection interface between the universal motherboard and the display module, touch module, backlight module, and screen recognition circuit. The interface location, interface type, signal definition, and electrical specifications of the standard interface group remain consistent in automotive instrument panels of different sizes, ensuring that display modules of different sizes use the same interface specifications as the basis for connection on the motherboard side when connected to the universal motherboard.

[0055] Specifically, the standard interface group can include a display driver interface, a touchscreen interface, a backlight driver interface, and a screen recognition interface. The display driver interface is used to transmit display driver signals and display control signals to the display module; the touchscreen interface is used to communicate with the touch module; the backlight driver interface is used to power and control the brightness of the backlight unit of the display module; and the screen recognition interface is used to obtain the identity information or hardware identification information of the currently connected screen. By centrally setting and uniformly defining these interfaces, a general-purpose motherboard can maintain a consistent hardware interface across different screen sizes, manufacturers, and interface types.

[0056] Here, the display driver interface may include a display data channel, a display clock channel, a reset signal channel, an enable signal channel, and a power supply channel. The display data channel and display clock channel are used to transmit MIPI DSI, LVDS, or other display link signals; the reset signal channel is used to control the display module to enter or exit the reset state; the enable signal channel is used to control the operation of the display module; and the power supply channel is used to provide operating power to the display module.

[0057] In the case of using the MIPI DSI display link, the display data channel may include at least one set of differential data channels, and the display clock channel may include one set of differential clock channels, thereby meeting the data transmission requirements of higher resolution display modules.

[0058] Here, the touchscreen interface may include a communication clock signal channel, a communication data signal channel, a touch interrupt signal channel, and a touch power supply channel. The communication clock signal channel and the communication data signal channel are used to enable I2C communication between the control module and the touch module; the touch interrupt signal channel is used to output an interrupt signal to the control module when a touch event is detected; and the touch power supply channel is used to provide operating power to the touch module.

[0059] It should be noted that for different touch modules that are paired with different sized display modules, the same touch screen interface definition is still used on the general motherboard side, so that touch signals can be connected to the control module under a unified interface framework.

[0060] Here, the backlight driver interface may include a backlight enable signal channel, a PWM dimming signal channel, and a backlight power supply channel. The backlight enable signal channel is used to control the backlight module to turn on or off; the PWM dimming signal channel is used to output a pulse width modulation signal to adjust the backlight brightness of the display module; and the backlight power supply channel is used to provide backlight driving power to the backlight module.

[0061] For display modules of different sizes, since the backlight power, backlight brightness range or dimming parameters may be different, the control module can adjust the backlight enable timing and PWM dimming parameters according to the corresponding driver configuration parameters after identifying the current screen type, while the general motherboard side backlight interface definition remains unchanged.

[0062] Here, the screen recognition interface may include a communication recognition channel, a hardware voltage recognition channel, and a power supply channel. The communication recognition channel can be used to read screen identity information from the display module-side memory or driver chip via I2C; the hardware voltage recognition channel can be used to collect the voltage divider signal formed by the recognition resistor on the display module side, and the control module can determine the screen type based on the sampled voltage; the power supply channel is used to provide operating power to the screen recognition circuit.

[0063] In one specific implementation, the display driver interface, touchscreen interface, backlight driver interface, and screen recognition interface can be used as different signal partitions within the same connector, or they can be configured as multiple connectors. Regardless of whether a centralized connector or a separate connector is used, the signal definitions of different interfaces remain fixed on the general-purpose motherboard side. For display modules whose interface definitions are consistent with the standard interface group, they can be directly connected via FPC cables; for display modules whose interface definitions are inconsistent with the standard interface group, they can be connected via interface adapter components, which perform signal mapping, pin rearrangement, level matching, or interface conversion.

[0064] Thus, through the aforementioned standard interface group design, this embodiment limits the interface differences between display modules of different sizes to the display module side or the interface adapter component side, and no longer transmits them to the general motherboard design level. Therefore, when changing the size, resolution, or supplier of the display module, there is no need to readjust the display interface, touch interface, backlight interface, and recognition interface on the general motherboard, nor is it necessary to redesign the corresponding PCB layout. This improves the platform reusability of the general motherboard and reduces the hardware development and production switching costs for multi-size automotive instrument panels.

[0065] See Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the adapter component of an interface adapter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0066] In this embodiment, the interface adapter component is connected between the general-purpose motherboard and the display module. It converts the unified interface signals output by the general-purpose motherboard into the target screen interface signals required by the current display module, while maintaining the standard interface group of the general-purpose motherboard. The interface adapter component can be in the form of an adapter board, or, depending on the overall space and wiring requirements, a flexible adapter board, a hardware-software hybrid adapter board, or an active adapter board with a bridging chip.

[0067] Here, the general-purpose motherboard side features a standard interface group, which may include a display driver interface, a touchscreen interface, a backlight driver interface, a screen recognition interface, and a power interface. The display driver interface outputs display link signals, such as MIPI DSI display signals; the touchscreen interface outputs or receives touch communication signals, such as I2C communication signals; the backlight driver interface outputs backlight enable and backlight dimming signals; the screen recognition interface transmits screen identification signals; and the power interface provides operating power to the display module or interface adapter components. These interfaces are uniformly defined on the general-purpose motherboard side, ensuring that display modules of different sizes use the same motherboard-side interfaces as the basis for adaptation.

[0068] Specifically, one end of the interface adapter component connects to the standard interface group of the general motherboard, and the other end connects to the target screen interface of the display module. The interface adapter component can internally include pin rearrangement, signal mapping, level matching, electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, and power filtering sections.

[0069] The pin rearrangement section is used to adjust the fixed pin order on the general motherboard side to the pin order required by the target display module; the signal mapping section is used to connect the signal channels of different functions on the general motherboard side to the corresponding functional terminals in the target screen interface; the level matching section is used to perform level conversion or electrical matching when the output level of the general motherboard is inconsistent with the input level of the target display module; the electrostatic discharge protection section is used to provide electrostatic protection for display signals, touch signals, recognition signals or power signals; and the power supply filtering section is used to filter or regulate the power supply signal to improve the power supply stability of the display module.

[0070] Regarding display signal adaptation, when the general-purpose motherboard uses a MIPI DSI interface while the target display module uses a MIPI DSI interface with a different pin arrangement, the interface adapter component can rearrange the differential data channel, differential clock channel, reset signal, enable signal, and power supply signal through signal routing, enabling the fixed interface on the motherboard to adapt to the connector definitions of different screens. When the target display module uses LVDS, eDP, or other display interface forms, the interface adapter component can also be equipped with protocol conversion devices or bridging chips to convert the display link signals output from the general-purpose motherboard into display interface signals that the target display module can recognize.

[0071] Here, regarding touch signal adaptation, the interface adapter component can map the touch communication clock signal, touch communication data signal, touch interrupt signal, and touch power supply signal from the general motherboard to the target touch interface. For situations where there are differences in the I2C pin order, reset pin position, or interrupt signal polarity among different touch modules, the interface adapter component can adjust the connection relationships, eliminating the need for the general motherboard to redesign the touch interface circuit for different touch modules.

[0072] Furthermore, regarding backlight signal adaptation, the interface adapter component can connect the backlight enable signal, PWM dimming signal, and backlight power supply signal output from the general-purpose motherboard to the backlight interface of the target display module. For situations where the backlight interface position, interface order, or backlight power requirements differ between display modules of different sizes, the interface adapter component can perform corresponding conversions. Simultaneously, the control module can load the corresponding backlight configuration parameters based on the screen recognition results, enabling the same general-purpose motherboard to adapt to the backlight control requirements of display modules of different sizes.

[0073] Here, regarding screen recognition signal adaptation, the interface adapter component can connect the recognition communication signal or recognition voltage detection signal from the general motherboard side to the screen recognition circuit on the display module side. For example, when the display module side has a memory for storing screen identity information, the interface adapter component can provide a recognition communication channel, enabling the control module to read the screen identity information; when the display module side has a recognition resistor, the interface adapter component can provide a recognition voltage detection channel, enabling the control module to determine the current screen type by sampling the voltage. Therefore, the interface adapter component is not only used to complete the display connection but also to ensure the compatibility of the automatic screen recognition function across different display modules.

[0074] In one specific implementation, the interface adapter component can be used solely as a passive adapter board, meaning it does not alter the control logic of the general-purpose motherboard; interface conversion is achieved only through onboard wiring, connectors, protection devices, and matching devices. This approach is suitable for scenarios where the target display module and the general-purpose motherboard share the same display protocol but have different interface definitions, offering advantages such as low cost, simple structure, and high reliability.

[0075] In another specific implementation, the interface adapter component can be used as an active adapter board, that is, a display protocol conversion chip, a power conversion chip or a signal buffer chip can be set on the adapter board to adapt to display modules with large differences in display protocols, voltage levels or driving capabilities.

[0076] It should be noted that, to meet the environmental requirements of automotive instrument clusters, the interface adapter components can also be designed with automotive-grade reliability. For high-speed display signals, the differential traces in the interface adapter components can be controlled according to preset impedance and designed with equal lengths to reduce signal reflection, crosstalk, and time delay deviation. The interface adapter components can also be equipped with a grounding shield structure to reduce electromagnetic radiation generated when high-speed signals pass through the transition area. For scenarios requiring bent wiring, the interface adapter components can be equipped with flexible bending areas to adapt to the wiring direction and assembly space of display modules of different sizes, and to reduce stress concentration of FPC cables during assembly or vibration.

[0077] In this way, through the aforementioned interface adapter component, this embodiment centralizes the handling of interface differences between display modules of different sizes within the interface adapter component, eliminating the need for redesigning the universal motherboard as screen size, screen supplier, or interface definition changes. Therefore, when replacing a display module, only an interface adapter component matching the target display module needs to be selected to connect the target display module to the same universal motherboard. This improves the versatility and expandability of the automotive instrument hardware platform and reduces the development, verification, and production switchover costs for multi-size products.

[0078] In other implementations, the interface adapter component is not limited to the form of a common adapter board, and can also be replaced according to the interface type of the display module, installation space and signal conversion requirements.

[0079] For example, when the interface definition of the display module is basically the same as the standard interface group of the general motherboard, the interface adapter component can use a direct connection method with an FPC flexible flat cable. In this case, one end of the FPC flexible flat cable is connected to the general motherboard, and the other end is connected to the display module. A screen identification resistor or identification line can be set on the FPC flexible flat cable to realize the connection and identification of the display module. This method has a simple structure and low cost, and is suitable for display modules with small differences in interface definition.

[0080] For example, when there are differences in display protocols between the display module and the general-purpose motherboard, an active adapter board can be used as the interface adapter component. The active adapter board can be equipped with a protocol conversion chip, a power conversion unit, or a signal buffer unit to realize the conversion between different display interfaces such as MIPI DSI, LVDS, eDP, or RGB, so that the general-purpose motherboard can be adapted to display modules with different display protocols.

[0081] For example, when the internal assembly space of an automotive instrument panel is limited, or when there is a significant deviation between the cable routing direction of the display module and the location of the universal motherboard interface, the interface adapter component can use a rigid-flex adapter board. The rigid area of ​​the rigid-flex adapter board is used to arrange connectors or necessary protective devices, while the flexible area is used for bending and routing cables and space avoidance, thereby improving the assembly adaptability of display modules of different sizes within a limited housing space.

[0082] See Figure 4 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the assembly effect of a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0083] In this embodiment, the universal motherboard is used not only to realize the electrical connection and drive adaptation of display modules of different sizes, but also to realize the structural assembly compatibility between automotive instrument housings of different sizes. The universal motherboard adopts a unified shape and a unified structural positioning benchmark, reserves multiple sets of mounting holes on the same universal motherboard, and sets a flexible wiring avoidance area near the interface area, so that the same universal motherboard can be assembled into small, medium and large automotive instrument housings respectively.

[0084] Here, the universal motherboard is equipped with a structural mounting section, which may include multiple sets of mounting holes. Different sets of mounting holes correspond to the positions of fixing posts in automotive instrument housings of different sizes. For example, one set of mounting holes can be used for small-sized instrument housings, another set for medium-sized instrument housings, and yet another set for large-sized instrument housings. During assembly, the corresponding set of mounting holes is selected according to the size of the current instrument housing, and the universal motherboard is locked to the fixing posts inside the housing, thus completing the fixed installation of the universal motherboard in housings of different sizes.

[0085] In this structure, although the different sized housings differ in external dimensions, display area width, or internal mounting post distribution, they are all designed around the unified structural positioning benchmark of the universal motherboard. The relative positioning relationship of the universal motherboard remains consistent in different sized housings, and the basic assembly direction of the display module, interface area, and FPC cable also remains consistent. Therefore, when changing the size of the automotive instrument panel, there is no need to redesign the external structure of the universal motherboard, nor is it necessary to design a dedicated motherboard for each different sized housing.

[0086] Here, the interface area is located on one side of the general-purpose motherboard or near the FPC cable exit point of the display module, and is used to arrange standard interface groups and connectors that connect to the display module. A flexible routing avoidance area is reserved near the interface area to provide bending, storage, and clearance space for FPC cables of different display module sizes. Since the length, exit direction, and connection position of FPC cables for different display module sizes may vary, reserving a flexible routing avoidance area ensures sufficient flexibility for the FPC cables during connection, preventing the cables from being stretched, bent too sharply, squeezed by the housing, or interfering with other structural components.

[0087] For example, in the assembly example of a small-sized automotive instrument housing, a universal motherboard can be fixed inside the housing using mounting holes corresponding to the small-sized housing. The FPC cable of the display module is led out from the display module side and connected to the interface area of ​​the universal motherboard via a wiring channel or clearance space. Because the internal space of the small-sized housing is relatively small, the flexible wiring clearance area can provide the necessary bending allowance for the FPC cable, preventing the cable from being overstretched after assembly.

[0088] For example, in the assembly example of a medium-sized automotive instrument panel housing, the universal motherboard can be fixed using mounting holes that correspond to the medium-sized housing. Compared to a small-sized housing, the positions of the mounting posts and the cable exit positions of the display module may change in a medium-sized housing, but the universal motherboard does not need to change its shape or interface layout. It can be assembled and adapted to the medium-sized housing and the medium-sized display module simply by selecting the corresponding mounting hole group and utilizing the reserved flexible wiring avoidance area.

[0089] For example, in the assembly example of a large-size automotive instrument panel housing, a universal motherboard can be fixed inside the housing using mounting holes corresponding to the large-size housing. The FPC cable for the large-size display module may be longer, and the distance between the cable exit point and the universal motherboard interface area may vary. In this case, a flexible routing avoidance area can provide storage space for the longer FPC cable, allowing it to be arranged along a pre-defined routing channel and connected to the universal motherboard without interfering with the housing cover, mounting posts, or other internal structural components.

[0090] In one specific implementation, the multiple sets of mounting holes on a general-purpose motherboard can be arranged in parallel, staggered, or partitioned configurations. The spacing between each set of mounting holes can be adjusted according to the spacing of the fixing posts on different sized housings, while minimizing interference with critical component areas, interface areas, and high-speed signal trace areas on the general-purpose motherboard. This ensures that the general-purpose motherboard is compatible with multiple housing sizes while preventing the mounting holes from affecting the motherboard's circuit layout and structural strength.

[0091] In another specific implementation, the flexible wiring avoidance area can be set as a reserved blank area next to the general motherboard interface area, or it can be formed in combination with the wiring channel, wire pressing structure or limiting structure inside the housing. After the FPC cable is connected, it can be guided along the wiring channel and held in a preset position by the limiting structure or wire pressing structure, thereby reducing the risk of FPC cable swinging, bending or loosening during vehicle vibration.

[0092] Thus, through the aforementioned structural assembly adaptation method, this embodiment enables the universal motherboard to be compatible with automotive instrument housings of different sizes and display modules of different sizes. The structural differences between different sized instrument panels are mainly absorbed by the positions of the housing fixing posts, the selection of mounting hole positions, and the FPC wiring space, while the shape, interface area, and basic assembly benchmarks of the universal motherboard can remain consistent. Therefore, when developing automotive instrument panels of different sizes, it is unnecessary to design a separate motherboard structure and assembly scheme for each size, which helps reduce the number of structural molds, minimize assembly tooling differences, improve production changeover efficiency, and enhance the platform reusability of automotive instrument panels.

[0093] In other embodiments, the structural adaptation method between the universal motherboard and automotive instrument housings of different sizes is not limited to the fixing method with multiple sets of mounting holes. Other structural forms can also be adopted according to the housing space, assembly process and vibration resistance requirements.

[0094] For example, the structural mounting section can employ a slide rail mounting structure. Specifically, a guide rail can be installed inside the housing, and a groove or guide edge that mates with the guide rail can be provided on the edge of the universal mainboard. During assembly, the universal mainboard is pushed into the housing along the guide rail and secured in place by locking components, screws, or clips. This method reduces the need for multi-hole alignment, improves assembly convenience, and is suitable for automotive instruments requiring rapid assembly or mass production.

[0095] For example, the structural mounting section can employ a flexible bracket floating mounting structure. Specifically, the universal mainboard can be mounted within the housing using flexible metal brackets, rubber dampers, or elastic clips, providing a certain buffer margin relative to the housing. This method can absorb vibration and impact during vehicle operation, reduce stress concentration at fixed points, and is suitable for instruments in commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles, or engineering vehicles with strong vibration environments.

[0096] For example, the structural mounting section can employ an adjustable mounting bracket structure. Specifically, the adjustable mounting bracket is equipped with elongated holes, adjustment slots, or multi-positioning parts, and the universal motherboard is fixedly connected to the housing via the adjustable mounting bracket. During assembly, the fixing position of the bracket can be adjusted according to the position of the fixing posts or the internal space of the housing of different sizes, thereby achieving the adaptability and installation of the same universal motherboard in housings of different sizes.

[0097] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a configuration implementation method corresponding to automotive instrument with multi-size adaptation. Refer to Figure 5 As shown, it is a flowchart of a configuration implementation method for an automotive instrument with multi-size adaptation provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes steps S101 to S105, where: S101. In the power-on initialization stage of the automotive instrument, obtain the screen identity information of the currently connected display module through the screen recognition module.

[0098] S102. Determine the screen type corresponding to the currently connected display module according to the screen identity information.

[0099] S103. Based on the screen type, call the drive configuration parameters matching the currently connected display module from the preset drive configuration table. The drive configuration parameters include at least one of resolution parameters, display timing parameters, effective display area parameters, backlight control parameters, and coordinate mapping parameters.

[0100] S104. Configure at least one of the display drive link, backlight control link, and touch link according to the drive configuration parameters.

[0101] S105. After the configuration is completed, control the currently connected display module to display according to the drive configuration parameters, so as to achieve the adaptive adaptation of the same general motherboard to display modules of multiple sizes.

[0102] In a specific implementation, after the automotive instrument is powered on, the control module first initializes the display power supply link, screen recognition interface, display drive link, touch communication link, and backlight control link on the general motherboard. Among them, the display power supply link is used to provide the basic working power for the currently connected display module; the screen recognition interface is used to obtain the screen identity information of the current display module; the display drive link is used to output display drive signals subsequently; the touch communication link is used to communicate with the touch module supporting the display module; the backlight control link is used to control the backlight on, off, and brightness adjustment of the display module.

[0103] Here, after the basic initialization is completed, the control module obtains the screen identity information of the currently connected display module. The screen identity information can be obtained through various recognition methods to improve the recognition reliability in different usage scenarios.

[0104] In one identification method, the control module reads the screen-specific identity information of the current display module via I²C identification. Specifically, the display module can be equipped with an EEPROM memory, or the screen-specific identity information can be stored using the configuration registers inside the screen driver chip. The control module initiates a read operation to the display module through the I²C communication channel in the screen identification interface, reading one or more of the following: screen size, screen model, resolution, display timing, effective display area, touch coordinate range, backlight configuration parameters, and manufacturer information. After reading the above information, the control module can verify the read data, such as performing data length verification, checksum verification, or CRC verification, to determine whether the screen-specific identity information is valid. If the verification passes, the control module can use the I²C identification result as a candidate screen type for the current display module.

[0105] In another identification method, the control module obtains the hardware coding information of the current display module through an ADC resistor divider identification method. Specifically, different sizes or models of display modules can be configured with identification resistors of different resistance values. The identification resistors and the sampling circuit on the general motherboard side form a resistor divider circuit. The control module acquires the identification voltage output by this resistor divider circuit through the ADC sampling channel and compares the acquired identification voltage with a preset voltage range. Each preset voltage range corresponds to a screen type. When the identification voltage falls into a certain preset voltage range, the control module determines that the current display module is the screen type corresponding to that preset voltage range.

[0106] It should be noted that, to improve the accuracy of ADC resistor voltage divider identification, the control module can sample the identification voltage multiple times and filter the sampling results. Filtering can employ median filtering, average filtering, or mean calculation after removing outliers. This process reduces the impact of power supply fluctuations, connection transients, and external noise on the ADC identification results. The ADC resistor voltage divider identification method can serve as a redundant identification mechanism for the I²C identification method, providing the control module with a backup screen type determination result in case of I²C read failure, communication timeout, or read data verification failure.

[0107] In another identification method, the control module obtains the display link parameters of the current display module through a display link self-detection identification method. Specifically, after the display module completes power supply and reset, the control module can perform link handshake, timing detection, or status reading on the display module through MIPI DSI, LVDS, or other display driver links. The display link parameters may include one or more of the following: display interface type, pixel clock, data format, physical line and field pixels, effective pixel area, link handshake status, link error detection results, and driver chip status information. The control module compares the display link parameters with the screen configurations in the preset driver configuration table to determine which preset screen type the current display module matches.

[0108] It should be noted that the display link self-detection identification method can utilize the existing display driver link to complete the auxiliary identification, without the need for additional dedicated identification pins. When both the I²C identification result and the ADC identification result are valid, the display link self-detection identification result can be used as a basis for cross-validation; when the I²C identification result and the ADC identification result are inconsistent, the display link self-detection identification result can be used as one of the arbitration judgment bases; when the display link detection is abnormal, the control module can determine that there may be a mismatch risk between the current display module and the loaded driver parameters.

[0109] The above scheme will now be described in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0110] After obtaining the identification results from channels A, B, and C, the control module enters a triple identification arbitration process. Channel A is the screen ID identification channel based on reading the screen-side EEPROM or driver chip registers using I²C; Channel B is the hardware-encoded identification channel based on the voltage divider value acquired by the ADC; and Channel C is the display link identification channel based on MIPI DSI link handshake and DCS command reading. After power-on initialization, the control module sequentially executes the identification operations for channels A, B, and C, recording the identification results for each channel as A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID, respectively.

[0111] Specifically, the control module first reads the screen ID information stored on the display module side through channel A and sets a read timeout. When the screen ID is successfully read and data verification passes within the preset time, A_ID is obtained; when the read times out, communication fails, or verification fails, A_ID is marked as invalid. Next, the control module collects the voltage divider value formed by the identification resistor on the display module side through channel B, and performs multiple sampling and filtering on the sampling results. Based on the preset voltage range where the filtered voltage value falls, B_ID is obtained; when the sampled value exceeds the entire preset voltage range or the sampling result fluctuates abnormally, B_ID is marked as invalid. Afterwards, the control module performs a display link handshake through channel C and reads or detects the link parameters of the display module through the display link. Based on the link handshake status, DCS read results, display timing, or link parameter matching results, C_ID is obtained; when the link handshake fails, the read times out, or the link parameters cannot be matched, C_ID is marked as invalid.

[0112] After completing the identification of the three channels mentioned above, the control module performs a consistency check on A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID. If A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID are all valid and correspond to the same screen type (i.e., A_ID equals B_ID and B_ID equals C_ID), the control module determines that the screen identification is successful and loads the driver configuration parameters corresponding to that screen type. At this point, since the identification results of the three independent channels are consistent, the control module can mark this identification result as a high-confidence identification result and complete the configuration of display timing, effective display area, backlight parameters, and touch coordinate mapping parameters based on this high-confidence identification result.

[0113] If two of the identification results among A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID are valid and consistent (e.g., A_ID equals B_ID, A_ID equals C_ID, or B_ID equals C_ID), while the other identification result is invalid or inconsistent, the control module determines the screen type of the current display module based on the majority consensus principle and loads the corresponding driver configuration parameters. At this point, the control module can mark this identification result as a medium confidence identification result and simultaneously record a diagnostic log for screen identification inconsistency.

[0114] Here, the diagnostic log can include inconsistent recognition channels, the recognition values ​​of each channel, the recognition time, the cause of the anomaly, and the corresponding fault codes. For example, when there are inconsistent recognition results, a diagnostic fault code indicating screen recognition inconsistency can be recorded for subsequent maintenance and fault location.

[0115] If only one of A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID is valid, or if only a single path identification result from channel A, channel B, or channel C can be obtained, the control module can load the corresponding driver configuration parameters based on the valid identification result, but will mark this identification result as a low-confidence identification result. In this case, the control module can record a diagnostic log of the abnormal operation of the screen identification channel and restrict some functions according to a preset security policy.

[0116] For example, the control module can load only the basic display configuration, reduce backlight brightness, limit high refresh rate or high resolution display output, or prompt that maintenance is required, in order to reduce the risk of display abnormalities caused by single-channel recognition errors.

[0117] If A_ID, B_ID, and C_ID are all invalid, or if the three recognition results are inconsistent and the current screen type cannot be determined by majority consensus, the control module will not directly load the normal display configuration but will instead perform a security degradation process. This security degradation process may include loading the default safe display configuration, stopping the output of high-risk display timing sequences, reducing backlight output, recording screen recognition failure codes, outputting maintenance prompts, or prohibiting entry into the normal display state.

[0118] In this embodiment, the triple-identification arbitration process does not simply rely on a single screen ID, but rather classifies and judges the results of I²C communication identification, ADC hardware voltage identification, and display link self-test identification in a tiered manner. A high-confidence configuration is used when all three channels are consistent; a medium-confidence configuration is used and anomalies are recorded when two channels are consistent; a low-confidence configuration is used and some functions are restricted when only one channel is valid; and a safety degradation is initiated when the outcome is uncertain. Therefore, while ensuring rapid adaptive configuration of multi-size display modules, the reliability of screen recognition and the fault diagnosability under automotive-grade conditions can be improved.

[0119] In other implementations, the screen recognition method is not limited to I²C reading of screen ID, ADC resistor voltage divider recognition, and display link self-detection recognition. Other recognition methods may also be adopted according to the hardware conditions and interface resources of the display module.

[0120] For example, the screen recognition module can use GPIO encoding for recognition. Specifically, multiple recognition pins can be set on the display module side, and screen codes can be formed by combining the high and low levels of different recognition pins. During the power-on initialization phase, the control module reads the level states of each recognition pin and determines the screen type currently connected to the display module based on the level combinations. This method does not rely on I²C communication, has a faster recognition speed, and is suitable for display modules with sufficient interface resources.

[0121] For example, the screen recognition module can use a display command reading method. Specifically, the control module can send a DCS read command to the display driver chip through the MIPI DSI display link, and determine the current display module type based on the chip model, screen status, resolution parameters, or other register information returned by the display driver chip. This method can reuse existing display links without the need to set up an additional independent recognition interface, and is suitable for display modules whose display driver chips support command reading.

[0122] For example, the screen recognition module can use a pre-configuration file matching method. Specifically, multiple screen configuration files can be pre-stored in the vehicle's instrument cluster memory. After power-on, the control module determines the target screen type based on the current project configuration, vehicle configuration code, configuration information issued by the vehicle controller, or configuration parameters written during production, and then calls the corresponding screen configuration file to complete driver loading. This method is suitable for scenarios where the screen model has been determined during the vehicle production stage, but it is still desirable to reuse the same universal motherboard and the same basic firmware.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in the above-described method of the specific implementation, the order in which each step is written does not imply a strict execution order and does not constitute any limitation on the implementation process. The specific execution order of each step should be determined by its function and possible internal logic.

[0124] This disclosure provides a method for adapting multi-size automotive instrument panels and implementing configurability. By setting up a universal motherboard with a standard interface group, and combining it with interface adaptation components, a screen recognition module, and a configurable driver loading mechanism, the same universal motherboard can adapt to display modules of different sizes and interface definitions. Simultaneously, through a shared mounting structure for multiple sizes and a flexible wiring avoidance design, display modules of different sizes can share the same assembly system. Therefore, without redesigning the motherboard, modifying the underlying driver code, or creating new main structural molds, rapid adaptation of automotive instrument panels to multi-size display modules can be achieved, reducing R&D, production, and inventory costs, and improving hardware platform reusability, screen switching efficiency, and overall assembly versatility.

[0125] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely specific implementations of this disclosure, used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and not to limit it. The protection scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features, within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure. Such modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and should all be covered within the protection scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of this disclosure should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel, characterized in that, include: The general-purpose motherboard is equipped with a standard interface group, which is used to output display signals, power supply signals, touch signals, backlight control signals and screen recognition signals according to a unified interface definition; The display module can be any of the various sizes of display modules; An interface adapter component is connected between the general motherboard and the display module, and is used to adapt the signals output by the standard interface group to the screen interface corresponding to the display module while keeping the interface definition of the standard interface group unchanged. A screen recognition module is used to obtain screen identity information corresponding to the display module; A control module, connected to the screen recognition module and the standard interface group, is used to determine the driver configuration parameters matching the display module based on the screen identity information, and control the display module to display based on the driver configuration parameters; The universal motherboard is equipped with a multi-size shared structural mounting part and a flexible wiring avoidance area, so that the universal motherboard can be adapted to automotive instrument housings of different sizes and display modules of different sizes.

2. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The standard interface group includes at least a display driver interface, a touch screen interface, a backlight driver interface, and a screen recognition interface; The display driver interface includes at least a display power supply pin, a MIPI DSI signal pin, a display reset pin, and a display enable pin; The touch screen interface includes at least an I2C communication pin, a touch interrupt pin, and a touch reset pin. The backlight driving interface includes at least a backlight enable pin, a PWM dimming pin, and a backlight detection pin. The screen recognition interface is used to receive hardware recognition signals or communication recognition signals corresponding to the display module.

3. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The interface adapter component includes an adapter board; One end of the adapter board is connected to the standard interface group, and the other end is connected to the screen interface of the display module; The adapter board is used to perform pin rearrangement, signal mapping, level matching, timing adaptation, and electrostatic discharge protection on at least some of the pins in the standard interface group according to the interface definition of the display module, so that display modules with different interface definitions or from different manufacturers can be connected to the same universal motherboard.

4. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adapter board adopts an automotive-grade high-speed signal adapter structure. The automotive-grade high-speed signal adapter structure includes differential traces for transmitting high-speed differential display signals, a reference ground plane corresponding to the differential traces, and a grounding shield structure surrounding the differential traces. The differential traces are impedance controlled according to a preset impedance range and length matched according to a preset equal length rule to reduce the impact of the adapter board on the integrity of the display link signal.

5. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adapter plate is equipped with an automotive-grade connector and a flexible bending area; The automotive-grade connector is used to maintain a stable electrical connection between the general-purpose motherboard and the display module in a vibration environment; The flexible bending area is equipped with stress-relieving wiring and a protective covering layer to adapt to the wiring positions and bending paths of display modules of different sizes.

6. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The screen recognition module includes an I2C recognition unit; The I2C identification unit is used to read screen-specific identity information set in the memory or driver chip register on the display module side during the power-on initialization phase. The screen-specific identity information includes at least one of the following: screen size, resolution, display timing, effective display area, coordinate parameters, and manufacturer information; The control module indexes the driver configuration table based on the screen-specific identity information to obtain driver configuration parameters that match the display module.

7. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The screen recognition module also includes an ADC recognition unit; The ADC identification unit is used to acquire the voltage divider signal formed by the identification resistor on the display module side, and determine the screen type corresponding to the display module according to the voltage range of the voltage divider signal; When the I2C identification unit identifies an anomaly, the control module determines the corresponding driver configuration parameters based on the screen type determined by the ADC identification unit.

8. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The screen recognition module also includes a display link recognition unit; The display link identification unit is used to perform link handshake or timing detection on the display module through the display driving link in order to obtain the display link parameters corresponding to the display module. The control module is used to cross-verify the identification results of the I2C identification unit, the ADC identification unit, and the display link identification unit, and to perform arbitration or security degradation processing when the identification results are inconsistent.

9. The multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural mounting part includes multiple sets of mounting holes on the universal motherboard, and the multiple sets of mounting holes correspond to the fixing post positions of different sized automotive instrument housings; The flexible cabling avoidance area is set around the standard interface group to provide avoidance space for FPC cables of different lengths, different outgoing directions or different bending paths; The universal motherboard, the display module, and the automotive instrument housing are assembled based on a unified structural positioning reference, so that display modules of different sizes can share the same universal motherboard assembly system.

10. A method for configurable implementation of multi-size adaptive automotive instrument panels, characterized in that, The method, applied to a multi-size adaptive automotive instrument cluster as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprises: During the power-on initialization phase of the vehicle's instrument panel, the screen identification information of the currently connected display module is obtained through the screen recognition module. Based on the screen identity information, determine the screen type corresponding to the currently accessed display module; Based on the screen type, the driver configuration parameters matching the currently accessed display module are retrieved from the preset driver configuration table. The driver configuration parameters include at least one of the following: resolution parameters, display timing parameters, effective display area parameters, backlight control parameters, and coordinate mapping parameters. Configure at least one of the display drive link, backlight control link, and touch link according to the drive configuration parameters; After configuration is completed, the currently connected display module is controlled to display according to the driver configuration parameters, so as to achieve adaptive adaptation of the same general motherboard to display modules of various sizes.

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