479 results about "Instrument cluster" patented technology

An apparatus for testing a video stream received at a subscriber site includes a coupling for receiving broadband RF signals communicated over a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, a signal level measurement circuit operably coupled to the coupling, the signal level measurement operable to generate signal level measurements regarding a first set of the broadband RF signals received through the coupling, a communication circuit operable to obtain a stream of video data packets from a second set of broadband RF signals received through the coupling, a processing circuit operably connected to the communication circuit, the processing circuit operable to receive signal level measurements from the signal level measurement circuit and to generate diagnostic data corresponding to the second set of broadband RF signals, the processing circuit further operable to communicate information representative of the signal level measurements and the diagnostic data in human-perceptible form. The apparatus may be housed within a portable unit for transportation to subscriber sites throughout an HFC network.

Disclosed therein is an external monitoring system, which includes cameras mounted at both sides of the front and rear of a vehicle and on side view mirrors, display devices for outputting images in a driver's front sight direction through the cameras, and controller for controlling the display devices. The display devices are mounted on a dash board of the upper portion of an instrument cluster or on the dash board of the upper portion of a steering wheel and are adjustable in their location laterally to allow the driver to gaze the front to the maximum. The external monitoring system includes: front and rear view cameras disposed at both side ends of the front and rear of the vehicle; side view cameras mounted on both side view mirrors of the vehicle in such a way as to be directed to the rear of the vehicle; at least two display devices for receiving and outputting signals inputted through the front and rear view cameras and the side view cameras; a holding device mounted on the dash board of the upper portion of the instrument cluster for moving the display devices laterally and fixing them; and a controller for converting the image output from the front and rear view cameras and the side view cameras and controlling brightness of a screen and zoom-in and zoom-out of the cameras.

Methods for road safety enhancement use mobile communication device (MCD) onboard vehicle to share traveling data through inter-vehicle communication broadcasting, perform road hazard warning, enhance road navigation, and provide autonomous road assistance. The methods have a variety of vehicle status data, such as moving data, steering data, or indicator data, obtained through GPS or image capturing and recognition of instrument cluster of vehicle. The image capturing and recognition allows to get speed data from indication of speedometer, indication of left or right turn signal, steering action data corresponding to steering wheel rotation, and light-on indication of system status indicators. To facilitate that, the MCD may be placed in front of steering wheel, and, if applicable, also in coupling with movement of steering wheel. The MCD may perform relative positioning map-matching lane correlation and GPS-update-interval speed positioning to improve data quality regarding vehicle moving status.

A human machine interface (HMI) can communicate warnings and messages to a driver by selecting among a variety of warning devices based on information related to the driver's viewing angle. The variety of warning devices can include a primary-visual warning device (e.g., a heads up display), secondary-visual warning devices (e.g., an instrument cluster or a navigational screen), a portable device (e.g., a tablet or a cellular phone), an audio system, or a haptic device. The HMI apparatus displays warnings on visual warning devices within the driver's view, can signal an active portable device to output a warning. Visual warnings can include directional cues. Audio warnings may accompany the visual warnings, and can be output with greater intensity when no visual devices are within the driver's view.

A navigation system for a vehicle for providing improved notification of upcoming turns along a given route is disclosed. Such turn notifications preferably involve activating turn signal indicators within or external to the vehicle in response to turn notification signals supplied by the navigation system. Such preexisting turn signal indicators include the dedicated turn signal indicators normally present within or on the vehicle, such as the turn signal indicators on the instrument cluster on the vehicle's dashboard; the external turn signal lights typically proximate the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle; the turn signal indicators integrated with the side mirror, or similar indicators. Because preexisting turn signal indicators are used, turn notification is made simpler and more economical as additional indicators or indicator systems are not necessary. Moreover, using indictors interior and exterior to the vehicle benefits both the vehicle occupant and well as other vehicles in the vicinity of the occupant's vehicle to inform of the occupant's intended route. In addition to using preexisting dedicated turn signal indicators, a heads up display can be used to display the turn notification, which is beneficial because it is substantially within the occupant's line of sight.

A reflector provides different-colored backlighting to indicia and a background field of an instrument dial. The dial is mounted on a reflector, forming an interior space. The reflector is assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB). A recessed section of the reflector has an opening exposing a portion of the PCB to the interior space. Another section of the reflector provides a short tube having an inner cavity suspended over the opening. A first group of light emitting diodes is mounted on the exposed portion of the PCB under the tube such that light from the first group is reflected through the inner cavity to light a pointer. A second group of light emitting diodes having a different color is mounted outside the tube and backlights the indicia of the dial. A gap between the exposed portion of the PCB and an end of the tube enables light to leak from the inner cavity and backlight the background field of the dial a different color than the indicia.

A dashboard for a tactical vehicle having a driver position and a passenger position. The dashboard includes a plurality of panels removably attached together to form a dashboard having a plurality of displays and warning lights viewable from the driver position to provide information for the driver of a vehicle. One of the panels is located in front of the vehicle driver position and has a driver instrument cluster.

An instrument cluster includes a compact color flat panel display for reducing the “eyes off the road” time of a driver. The display includes vehicle information graphics to convey vehicle information to the driver and a text portion to display communication information, such as telephone numbers of incoming calls. The vehicle information graphics use color and/or shape to convey the vehicle information. As an example, green may indicate a normal or safe vehicle condition, a change to yellow may warn of a cautionary vehicle condition and a change to red may warn of a more serious vehicle condition. Using a compact display and changing colors to indicate a vehicle condition may decrease the “eyes off the road” time of the driver.

A vehicle display having a housing, a pointer that is rotatably coupled to the housing, a first appliqué that is coupled to the housing, a second appliqué coupled to the housing, a first graphics set coupled to a surface of the first appliqué and a second graphics set coupled to a surface of the second appliqué. The second is spaced apart rearwardly from the first appliqué. The first and second graphics sets cooperate to at least partially form a display design that is adapted to be viewed from a front side of the vehicle display.

An instrument cluster includes a gauge with selectively and visually variable features to communicate vehicle information to a vehicle operator. A border is illuminatable by colored LED assemblies to provide an indication of the range of a vehicle operating condition. A pointer assembly is also selectively illuminatable to provide a visual reference of a specific operating condition that is responsive and varies depending on a specific current operating condition. A digital display within the gauge includes telltales that are also selectively illuminatable and visually variable, responsive to specific operating conditions to communicate not only a problem or an issue with a specific feature but also a range or magnitude of alert to the vehicle operator.

The invention relates to an automobile combined meter having an automobile electric control diagnosis function and a diagnosis method thereof. The automobile combined meter comprises a central controller, a meter interface, a plurality of multifunctional indication step motors electrically connected with the central controller respectively, a meter illumination indicator lamp, a safety status indicator lamp, multifunctional indicator lamps, multi-fault indicator lamps, a display screen, a clock chip, a storage, a voice prompt module, a key processing circuit, a power module electrically connected with the meter interface, a plurality of input signal processing circuits electrically connected with the central control unit and the meter interface respectively and an automobile electric control diagnosis interface circuit, wherein a controller area network (CAN) bus interface and a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) interface are arranged on the central control unit. When the automobile combined meter used, the meter interface is electrically connected with the electric control unit of the automobile to be diagnosed, and the central controller is connected with the automobile electric control diagnosis interface circuit through the CAN bus interface or the UART interface and then communicates with the the electric control unit of the automobile to be diagnosed through the meter interface. Having the automobile electric control diagnosis function, the automobile combined meter can prompt the fault of the automobile and make the fault point clear so as to prompt drivers to maintain the automobile better.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a power line communication (PLC) system. For example, the PLC system may include a PLC server configured to provide electrical power and electronic communications through a PLC bus to a number of electronic devices, such as an instrument cluster, infotainment interface, rear-seat entertainment console, aftermarket accessories, and the like. The PLC system may also include a power system that may be coupled to an electrical grid for charging a battery associated with one or more of the electronic devices. The power system may be communicatively coupled to the PLC bus, enabling the devices coupled to the PLC bus to communicate with a service provider through the electrical grid. The communications between the devices coupled to the PLC bus and remote devices coupled through the electrical grid may be conducted using a common communication protocol.

A reflector for backlighting an indicating instrument has two groups of flutes arranged for evenly distributing light and reducing bright spots. A plate has a recessed portion for receiving the indicating instrument and a semi-bowl-shaped compartment extending away from the plate and opening to the indicating instrument. The compartment has a base with a central projection formed by parabolic flutes and a semi-circular wall connecting the base with the recessed portion of the plate. The semi-circular wall has an inner surface facing the parabolic flutes. The inner surface has flutes extending in a radial direction from the base. Two apertures are positioned in the compartment across a boundary between the base and semi-circular wall. The apertures each receive a light emitting diode mounted on a printed circuit board when the board is assembled on the reflector. The parabolic flutes distribute the light from the light emitting diodes to evenly backlight the indicating instrument. The radial flutes diffuse the light to prevent hot or bright spots from developing under the indicating instrument. The light is further scattered by a chrome coating applied on a surface of the indicating instrument facing the compartment.

A motor vehicle instrument cluster comprising an analog indicator assembly having a pointer rotatably coupled to an actuator for a movement by the actuator, and a display assembly including a display screen for displaying information to an occupant of the motor vehicle and a printed circuit board electrically connected to the indicator assembly and the display assembly. In addition, the printed circuit board is electrically connected to an electrical ground and a metal support frame is mounted to the printed circuit board and coupled thereby to the electrical ground. The metal frame includes a support tray spaced apart from the printed circuit board, defining a gap in between. Finally, the display assembly is mounted in thermal communication to the support tray and the frame and the printed circuit board cooperate to define a static discharge path between the display assembly and the electrical ground.

A first meter cluster panel (16) and a second meter cluster panel (18) are disposed on an instrument panel (14) of a vehicle (11) such that the first meter cluster panel (16) and the second meter cluster panel (18) have respective centers of display disposed substantially coaxially with each other. The first meter cluster panel (16) is disposed near a boundary line (45) at a position deeper than that of the second meter cluster panel (18) as viewed by a driver who is directing his or her line (49) of sight from an eye range in the forward direction of the vehicle (11). The first meter cluster panel (16) displays information that is visually recognized outside of a steering wheel (12). The second meter cluster panel (18) displays information that is visually recognized inside the steering wheel (12) when the driver directs his or her line of sight from the eye range in the forward direction of the vehicle (11).

An in-vehicle system includes a instrument cluster display arranged in an instrument cluster and a heads-up display that projects an image in an area on a front window above the instrument cluster. When a user continues viewing a display screen of the instrument cluster display for a predetermined period of time or longer, the display of the instrument cluster display is stopped, and content displayed on the display of the instrument cluster display is displayed on the heads-up display.

A video tracking system integrates a pair of video cameras into the vehicle instrument cluster. The video tracking system includes an instrument cluster in a vehicle having at least one vehicle related instrument. A video camera is located in the instrument cluster and is oriented to capture images of a driver of the vehicle. The system includes a processor for processing the images acquired by the video camera and determining one or more characteristics of the driver.

A vehicle instrument cluster lens assembly for a vehicle instruments panel includes a first layer comprised of a quarter-wave plate (λ/4). A second layer which is a polarizer, a third layer of another quarter-wave plate (λ/4); the first and a fourth layer being a polarizer light to a new orientation. The quarter-wave plates change the orientation of the light angle that it can be seen with a polarized eye glass lens. The vehicle lens assembly functions in a dual manner depending on the light source direction and orientation of the light to prevent light emitted from the instrument as well as making the display light visible to viewers wearing polarized sunglasses.