Vehicle Meter Display Adjustment via Electronic Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional meter units for vehicles face issues with positional deviations and distortions when exterior components are attached, leading to malfunctions and increased production costs due to the need for complex adjustments or component replacement.

Innovation Solution

A display control device that includes a liquid crystal display, an exterior component with opening portions, a control unit, and a parameter storage unit, allowing for adjustment of display positions and shapes of frame bodies imitating measuring instruments, which are then stored as parameters to correct deviations and distortions during attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If an exterior component is formed with opening portions to expose measuring instruments, then the visibility of measuring instruments is improved, but positional deviations occur between the measuring instruments and opening portions due to manufacturing and attachment variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of measuring instrumentsVSAvoidpositioning accuracy of measuring instruments

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining multiple candidate positions for measuring instruments on the display screen before actual assembly. The display control device stores position information for multiple candidate positions, and the control unit selects and displays measuring instruments at appropriate positions based on the actual alignment with opening portions in the exterior component, thereby compensating for manufacturing deviations before final assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the display position of measuring instruments adjustable and reconfigurable. The control unit can change the display position of measuring instruments dynamically based on feedback from the actual position of opening portions in the exterior component, allowing the system to adapt to manufacturing variations rather than being fixed at design positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the display position of measuring instruments is adjusted to correct positional deviations, then the alignment with opening portions is improved, but complex adjustment operations and component replacement are required in conventional techniques

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment accuracy of measuring instrumentsVSAvoidadjustment operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical adjustment system with an electronic control system. Instead of physically adjusting the positions of measuring instruments or replacing components, the control unit electronically repositions the display of measuring instruments on the screen based on stored candidate position information, significantly simplifying the adjustment process and eliminating the need for mechanical intervention or component replacement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the display position parameters of measuring instruments through software control. The control unit changes the coordinate parameters of measuring instrument displays to match the actual positions of opening portions in the exterior component, allowing flexible adjustment without physical modification or replacement of components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple measuring instruments are displayed on the display screen, then the functionality of the meter unit is improved, but positional deviations and distortions occur in some instruments due to exterior component variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of meter unitVSAvoiddisplay accuracy of measuring instruments

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by treating each measuring instrument's position as an independent adjustable entity. The control unit can independently adjust the display position of each measuring instrument based on its corresponding opening portion in the exterior component, allowing individual correction of positional deviations without affecting other instruments, thereby maintaining high functionality while ensuring display accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9120380B2Display control device

Publication Date: 2015.09.01 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

In an adjustment mode, a control unit of a display control device displays, on a display, frame bodies imitating shapes of measuring instruments, and changes the display positions or/and the shapes at which or in which the frame bodies are displayed on the basis of input operation received by the input unit, and stores, to the parameter storage unit, the determined display positions or/and the determined shapes of the frame bodies as parameters of the display positions or/and the shapes of the measuring instruments.